DEFINITION
SOUTHWEST LICKING LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICT
ADMINISTRATOR AND TEACHER
GIFTED HANDBOOK
REVISED
MAY 2008
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Mission of Southwest Licking Local School District 1
Acknowledgements 1
Licking County Schools Philosophy for Gifted Education 2
Southwest Licking Local Schools Philosophy for Gifted Education 2
Three Year Long Range Plan for Gifted Services 3
Gifted Definition 4
Criteria for Gifted Identification Chart 5
Testing 6
Testing Process Flow Chart 7
Characteristics of Gifted Children 8
Myths 15
Referral for Gifted Consideration 17
Southwest Licking Gifted and Talented Nomination Forms
Teacher Nomination Checklist 18
Parent Nomination Checklist 20
Student Nomination Form 22
Letter to Nominate Gifted Children 23
Permission for Assessment 24
Sample Parent Letters
Group Testing Cover Letter 25
Identification from Group Testing 26
Identification from Individual Testing 27
Program Goals 28
Placement Options
Acceleration 29
Advanced Middle School Science Program 29
Advanced Placement Program 29
Advanced Middle School Math Program 30
Career Shadowing 30
Challenge 30
Cluster Grouping 30
Distance Learning 30
High School Honors Classes 31
Mentorship Opportunities 31
Post Secondary Education Option 31
Voyage 31
Additional Opportunities 32
Differentiation Strategies 33
Written Education Plan 36
Placement Criteria 38
Cluster Classroom Placement Guidelines 40
Cluster Grouping for Gifted Services 41
Voyage Invitation 46
Voyage Placement Refusal 47
Information for Voyage Students 48
Guidelines and Permission for Voyage Students 49
Homework Policy 50
Grading 50
Placement Review 50
Challenge 53
Sample Challenge Letters
Challenge Placement Notification Letter 54
Challenge Sample Letter, Not Placed 55
Challenge Placement Refusal Letter 56
Letter from Challenge Teacher 57
Challenge Visit and Parent Meeting 59
Letter of Introduction 60
Supplies List 61
Grading 62
Intervention Assistance Team 63
Withdrawal Process 64
Withdrawal Form 65
Transfer Students 66
Acceleration 67
Referral for Acceleration 69
Permission for Acceleration Assessment 70
Sample Written Acceleration Plan 71
Acceleration Testing Policy for Subject Accelerated Students 72
Ohio Achievement Test Accountability And Reporting Matrix 74
Decision Flowchart for Subject-Accelerated Students 75
Parent Involvement 76
Parent-Teacher Conferences 76
PACE 76
Resources 77
BOARD OF EDUCATION
SOUTHWEST LICKING LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICT
MISSION STATEMENT
The mission of the Southwest Licking School District is to assure that all students are prepared to be lifelong learners who posses a sense of self-worth, critical thinking ability, and necessary life skills enabling them to solve problems, adapt to change, value beauty, diversity, and cooperation, and be productive citizens. The mission will be accomplished by a skilled and dedicated staff providing personalized instruction with family and community support and participation by students in safe, modern facilities where quality education and technological materials are the standard.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
2002 Handbook 2007 Revision
Jean Burgess, Teacher Paula Ball, Teacher
Paula Ball, Teacher Amy Genter, Teacher
Barbara Bodart, Gifted Coordinator Denise Staffalino, Principal
Donna Gereb, School Improvement Consultant Colleen Boyle, Gifted Coordinator
Charla Mackenzie, Pupil Services Director Kristi Thompson, Director of Curriculum &
Instruction
LICKING COUNTY SCHOOLS
PHILOSOPHY FOR GIFTED EDUCATION
We believe all children should be provided a variety of educational opportunities designed to foster maximum development and personal actualization. In order to realize their contributions to self and society, Gifted and Talented students, by virtue of their outstanding abilities and being capable of high performance, require differentiated educational services beyond those normally provided by the regular school program. We support the development and implementation of services, which will assist gifted and talented students to reach their full cognitive and creative potential. Services for the Gifted and Talented students should be an integral part of the total educational program and not an optional provision.
Motivating and challenging Gifted and Talented students enhances both the student and society. Research suggests these students often learn by intuitive leaps and unique perceptions; therefore, their educational provisions must also be unique to allow interaction with their intellectual peers in specialized risk-free environments separate from the regular classroom. These youth are individually and intellectually different. Local conditions vary. One cannot say there is one best single pattern for organizing educational for the Gifted and Talented; however, these students need to be provided opportunity for interaction with their intellectual peers
Local school districts in Licking County will be given support to design services which are based upon the nature of giftedness, comply with Ohio’s House Bill 282, the Ohio Revised Code (ORC 3324-01-07), and with the Ohio Administrative Code (OAC 3301-51-15), and are compatible with local school district philosophies and student needs.
SOUTHWEST LICKING LOCAL SCHOOLS
PHILOSOPHY FOR GIFTED EDUCATION
Children are a valuable resource. The individual and society receive maximized benefits when attributes are enhanced and developed. Gifted children and youth are a unique group, who, due to high intellectual ability, need and profit from an educational program that provides curriculum beyond that available in the normal classroom. Students benefit from a curriculum that extends their learning in depth, breadth, and complexity at an accelerated pace.
Southwest Licking Local School recognize the responsibility to provide an educational environment in which each individual can develop character, leadership, service, and scholarship according to his/her abilities and needs.
To accomplish these goals, Southwest Licking Local Schools offer many differentiated programs. The district is committed to providing organized, diverse programs for students to offer educational experiences commensurate with the gifted students' learning abilities.
THREE-YEAR LONG RANGE PLAN OF GIFTED SERVICES FOR
SOUTHWEST LICKING LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICT
| |2006-2007 |2007-2008 |2008-2009 |2009-2010 |
|K |Provide enrichment pull-out |Provide enrichment pull-out |Provide enrichment pull-out |Provide enrichment pull-out |
| |(2x/week) for advanced readers |(2x/week) for advanced readers |(2x/week) for advanced readers |(2x/week) for advanced readers |
| |(Book Club) |(Book Club) |(Book Club) |(Book Club) |
| |Independent Study |Independent Study |Independent Study |Independent Study |
|1 | |Enrichment exercises |Enrichment exercises |Enrichment exercises |
| | |Provide resource ideas to general|Compacting curriculum |Clustering |
| | |education teachers |Clustering |Compacting curriculum |
| | | | |Flexible grouping across |
| | | | |classes in grade |
|2 | |Enrichment exercises |Enrichment exercises |Enrichment exercises |
| | |Provide resource ideas to general|Compacting curriculum |Clustering |
| | |education teachers |Clustering |Compacting curriculum |
| | | | |Flexible grouping across |
| | | | |classes in grade |
|3 |Pull-out 1x weekly |Pull-out 1x weekly |Pull-out 1x weekly |Pull-out 1x weekly |
| | |Inclusion services at PES/KES/EES|Clustering |Clustering |
| | |1x/month |Inclusion services at PES/KES/EES |Inclusion services at |
| | |Consulting and enrichment |1x/month |PES/KES/EES 1x/month |
| | |services 1x/month |Consulting and enrichment services|Consulting and enrichment |
| | | |1x/month |services 1x/month |
|4 |Pull-out 1x weekly |Pull-out 1x weekly |Pull-out 1x weekly |Pull-out 1x weekly |
| | |Inclusion services at PES/KES/EES|Clustering |Clustering |
| | |1x/month |Inclusion services at PES/KES/EES |Inclusion services at |
| | |Consulting and enrichment |1x/month |PES/KES/EES 1x/month |
| | |services 1x/month |Consulting and enrichment services|Consulting and enrichment |
| | | |1x/month |services 1x/month |
|5 |Pull-out 1x weekly |Pull-out 1x weekly |Pull-out 1x weekly |Pull-out 1x weekly |
| | |Inclusion services at PES/KES/EES|Clustering |Clustering |
| | |1x/month |Inclusion services at PES/KES/EES |Inclusion services at |
| | |Consulting and enrichment |1x/month |PES/KES/EES 1x/month |
| | |services 1x/month |Consulting and enrichment services|Consulting and enrichment |
| | | |1x/month |services 1x/month |
|6 |Gifted ELA - Challenge |Gifted ELA - Challenge |Gifted ELA - Challenge |Gifted ELA - Challenge |
| |Gifted math |Gifted math |Gifted math |Gifted math |
| |Enrichment with support aide |Enrichment with support aide | | |
|7 |Gifted ELA - Challenge |Gifted ELA - Challenge |Gifted ELA - Challenge |Gifted ELA - Challenge |
| |Gifted math |Gifted math |Gifted math |Gifted math |
| |Enrichment with support aide |Enrichment with support aide | | |
|8 |Gifted ELA - Challenge |HS math opportunity |HS math opportunity |HS math opportunity |
| |Gifted math |Gifted ELA - Challenge |Gifted ELA - Challenge |Gifted ELA - Challenge |
| |Enrichment with support aide |Enrichment with support aide |Gifted science |Gifted science |
| | |Gifted science |Foreign language (HS) |Foreign language (HS) |
| | |Foreign language (HS) | | |
|HS | |AP/Honors Classes: AP Literature|AP/Honors Classes: AP Literature |AP/Honors Classes: AP |
| | |& Composition, AP Language and |& Composition, AP Language and |Literature & Composition, AP |
| | |Composition, AP Calculus, AP |Composition, AP Calculus, AP |Language and Composition, AP |
| | |Statistics |Statistics, AP Chemistry |Calculus, AP Statistics, AP |
| | | | |Chemistry, AP SS |
GIFTED DEFINITION
Gifted students are those who by virtue of their outstanding abilities are capable of superior performance and achievement. These abilities, either potential or demonstrated, include general intellectual ability, specific academic aptitude, creative thinking ability, and visual and/or performing arts ability. These students, in order to more fully realize their potential and achieve at levels commensurate with their abilities, require educational programs and services beyond those normally provided in the regular school program.
According to Ohio Administrative Code 3301-51-15, students are identified as gifted in a particular area if they meet the following criteria:
1. Superior Cognitive: A score on a nationally normed standardized ability test of two standard deviations above the mean, minus the standard error of measurement. For instance if a test has a standard deviation of 16, with 100 as the mean, a score of two standard deviations above the mean would be a score of 132. If the standard error of measurement is 3 for a particular test, then the score would be 129 (132 minus 3). Any child with an ability of 129 or above on that particular test meets the states guidelines as being superior cognitively gifted.
2. Specific Academic: A score on a nationally normed standardized achievement test of 95th percentile on a composite subject test, such as the overall math score, or language score. The state recognizes students as being gifted in the areas of math, reading/language, science, or social studies.
3. Creative Thinking Ability: This area requires that students meet two criteria. First, a score on a nationally normed standardized ability test of one standard deviation above the mean, minus the standard error of measurement. Again with 16 as the standard deviation, we see a score of 116. If the standard error of measurement is 5, a student must score 111 (116 minus 5) to meet the first part of the criteria. Secondly, a student must meet a certain score required by the state on a checklist of creative behaviors.
4. Visual/Performing Arts: This area also requires that students meet two criteria. First, they must meet a certain score required by the state on a checklist of artistic behaviors. Second, they must demonstrate their abilities to trained individuals.
GIFTED IDENTIFICATION CHART
CRITERIA ESTABLISHED BY
THE OHIO DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
* From ODE-approved list of instruments
** ODE established scores
TESTING
The Ohio Department of Education has established a group of nationally normed, standardized tests acceptable for gifted identification. The Ohio Achievement Tests (OAT) are not on this list and cannot be used in identifying gifted children. The OAT measures mastery of minimum grade level standards and is not able to determine maximum potential ability. Therefore, the OAT may not be used for gifted identification and service placement.
Currently, Southwest Licking Local School District tests children using instruments approved by the state. Every child is tested in grades 2, 5, and 7 using the Terra Nova Achievement Test and InView Test of Abilities. These instruments allow for students to be screened or identified as gifted in reading, mathematics, science, social studies, and/or superior cognitive ability. Students with scores at the levels indicated on the previous page are identified as gifted. Students with scores that are close will be reevaluated to determine if additional testing is necessary. See the chart on the following page for more details. Parents and teachers may request retesting if they think the scores received are incorrect. Additional student information will be reviewed and a determination will be made whether further testing is appropriate.
In addition to district provided testing opportunities, other instruments may be used for identifying students as gifted and talented. High School students scoring at or above the 95th percentile in any section of the ACT or SAT tests will be identified as gifted in that area. Similarly, elementary and middle school students who take the EXPLORE, SAT, or ACT test early as part of a program such as the Midwest Academic Talent Search may be identified as gifted if they earn a qualifying score as designated by the Ohio Department of Education.
TESTING PROCESS
Characteristics of the Gifted/Talented
Superior Cognitive Ability
High ability students identified by an ability score (IQ) of about 127 or above
• Advanced vocabulary for age
• Independent reading, frequent preference for adult-level books
• Rapid learning and easy recall
• Quick perception of cause-effect relationships
• High level of curiosity
• Enjoyment of being with older children
• Pursuit of interests and of collecting things
• Long attention span for age
• Preference for new and challenging experiences
• Retention of information
• High level of planning, problem solving, and abstract thinking compared to peers
• Ability to generalize quickly from principles and to look for similarities and differences
• Possession of an unusually large storehouse of information about a variety of topics
• Tendency to become easily bored with routine tasks
• Concern for ethical issues, questions of right and wrong, and “adult” topics such as religion and politics
Specific Academic Ability
Knowledgeable in a specific area. Identified with an achievement score of 95th percentile or above on a standardized test in reading, writing, math, science, or social studies.
• Long attention span for activities related to a specific academic area
• Advanced understanding of concepts, methods, and terminology of the subject
• Ability to apply concepts from the subject to activities in other subjects
• Willingness to devote a large among of time and effort to achieve high standards in subject
• Competitiveness and motivation in subject
• Rapid learning in subject
Creativity
Highly imaginative. Identified by an ability score of about 111 AND an approved score on a creative abilities checklist.
• Inquisitiveness
• Tendency to do things their own way
• Preference for working alone
• Experimentation with whatever is at hand
• Active imagination
• Ability to think up many ways to accomplish goal or solve a problem
• Tendency to respond with unexpected, clever, or smart aleck answers
• Production of original ideas
• Uninhibited expression of what may be non-conforming opinions
• Adventurousness and willingness to take risks
• Possession of a keen sense of humor
• Sensitivity to beauty
• Nonconformity and lack of interest in detail
• Lack of concern with social acceptability
Visual/Performing Arts – Music
Unusually advanced talent for the chronological age. Identified by a checklist AND superior performance or exhibition.
• Makes up original tunes
• Enjoys and seeks out musical activities and opportunities to hear and create music
• Respond sensitively to music and move body in accord with tempo and mood changes
• Easily remember and reproduce melodies and rhythm patterns
• Pick out and discuss background sounds, chords, and individual instruments played
• Play a musical instrument or express a strong desire to do so
• Have good pitch
Visual/Performing Arts – Art
Unusually advanced talent for the chronological age. Identified by a checklist AND superior performance or exhibition.
• Fill in extra time by drawing, painting, etc.
• Demonstrate extraordinary imagination
• Draws a variety of things – not just people, houses, and flowers
• Remember things in detail
• Take art activities seriously
• Have long attention span for art activities
• Plan the composition of artwork
• Experiment with different media and techniques
• Arrive at unique solutions to artistic problems
• Produce highly original work with distinctive style, balance, and unity
• Demonstrate accelerated development of technical skill in art
• Show adeptness at representing movement
• Ask for explanations and instruction
• Respond to unusual subjects in art
• Are keen observers
• Set high standards of quality and rework their creations to achieve these standards
• Show interest in other children’s products by spending time discussing and studying them
•
*Adapted from Kitano, Margie K. and Kirby, Darrell F., Gifted Education: A Comprehensive View. Boston: Little, Brown, 1986.
BRIGHT CHILD GIFTED LEARNER
1. Knows the answers. 1. Asks the questions
2. Is interested 2. Is highly curious
3. Is attentive. 3. Is mentally and physically involved
4. Has good ideas 4. Has wild, silly ideas
5. Works hard 5. Plays around, yet tests well
6. Answers the questions. 6. Discusses in detail, elaborates
7. Top group. 7. Beyond the group
8. Listens with interest 8. Shows strong feelings and opinions
9. Learns with ease 9. Already knows
10. 6-8 repetitions for mastery 10. 1-2 repetitions for mastery
11. Understands ideas 11. Constructs abstractions
12. Enjoys peers 12. Prefers adults
13. Grasps the meaning 13. Draws inferences
14. Completes assignments 14. Initiates projects
15. Is receptive 15. Is intense
16. Copies accurately 16. Creates a new design
17. Enjoys school 17. Enjoys learning
18. Absorbs information 18. Manipulates information
19. Technician 19. Inventor
20. Good memorizer 20. Good guesser
21. Enjoys straightforward, 21. Thrives on complexity
sequential presentation
22. Is alert 22. Is keenly observant
23. Is pleased with own learning. 23. Is highly self-critical
2
**The traits listed may or may not accurately indicate giftedness. Gifted identification is determined by formal testing as guided by state and local policy.
CHARACTERISTICS FOR HELPING TO IDENTIFY GIFTED STUDENTS
|Positive Characteristics/ | |Negative Characteristics/ |
|Behaviors | |Behaviors |
|able to generate many ideas to solutions and |Fluency |may dominate others |
|problems |lots of ideas |may have difficulty bringing task to closure |
|has high tolerance for ambiguity |Flexibility |may be impatient with details or restrictions |
| |variety of ideas | |
|able to express ideas in unique and unusual |Originality |may be considered unusual or "silly" by peers and |
|ways |unique or original ideas |teachers |
| | |may refuse to accept authority and be non-conforming |
|able to add detail beyond expectations |Elaboration |may use descriptive details in excess |
| |incorporates descriptive details | |
|intensely interested in a wide variety of |Curiosity |may interrupt or ignore classroom activities to pursue|
|things |perceptive, intuitive. |individual interests |
|asks many questions |asks many questions | |
|uses fun and fantasy to enhance learning and |Imagination |may be considered unproductive and "silly" |
|exploration |uses imagination for pleasure and | |
| |problem solving | |
|has knowledge which is unusually advanced for |Knowledge |may be intolerant of others |
|age |wide range of information, high |may become inhibited in sharing information |
| |level of conceptualization | |
|above average |Skills |may dominate others because of abilities |
|able to progress at a more rapid pace |above-average mastery of skills |may be bored with routine and repetitive tasks |
| |processes information quickly and | |
| |easily | |
|relates positively to peers and adults |Social Relationships |may have difficulty relating to peers and adults |
| |responds and relates to others | |
|persistent, self-motivated and able to stay on|Task Commitment |may have difficulty bringing task to closure |
|task |demonstrates a commitment to a task| |
| | | |
| |or goal | |
by Judy Luker
SOME CHARACTERISTICS OF GIFTED CHILDREN WITH DUAL EXCEPTIONALITIES
Characteristics of Gifted Students with Specific Disabilities
Gifted Students with Visual Impairment
• Fast rate of learning
• Superior memory
• Superior verbal communication skills and vocabulary
• Advanced problem-solving skills
• Creative production or thought that may progress more slowly
than sighted students in some academic areas
• Ease in learning Braille
• Great persistence
• Motivation to know
• Sometimes slower rate of cognitive development than sighted students
• Excellent ability to concentrate
(Whitmore & Maker, 1985)
Gifted Students with Physical Disabilities
• Development of compensatory skills
• Creativity in finding alternate ways of communicating and accomplishing tasks
• Impressive store of knowledge
• Advanced academic skills
• Superior memory
• Exceptional problem-solving skills
• Rapid grasp of ideas
• Ability to set and strive for long-term goals
• Greater maturity than age mates
• Good sense of humor
• Persistence, patience
• Motivation to achieve
• Curiosity, insight
• Self-criticism and perfectionism
• Cognitive development that may not be based on direct experience
• Possible difficulty with abstractions
• Possible limited achievement due to pace of work
(Cline, 1999; Whitmore & Maker, 1985; Willard-Holt, 1994)
Gifted Students with Hearing Impairments
• Development of speech-reading skills without instruction
• Early reading ability
• Excellent memory
• Ability to function in the regular school setting
• Rapid grasp of ideas
• High reasoning ability
• Superior performance in school
• Wide range of interests
• Nontraditional ways of getting information
• Use of problem-solving skills in everyday situations
• Possibly on grade level
• Delays in concept attainment
• Self starters
• Good sense of humor
• Enjoyment of manipulating environment
• Intuition
• Ingenuity in solving problems
• Symbolic language abilities (different symbol system)
(Cline, 1999; Whitmore & Maker, 1985)
Gifted Students with Learning Disabilities
• High abstract reasoning ability
• Good mathematical reasoning ability
• Keen visual memory, spatial skills
• Advanced vocabulary
• Sophisticated sense of humor
• Imaginative and creative
• Insightful
• Exceptional ability in geometry, science, arts, music
• Good problem-finding and -solving skills
• Difficulty with memorization, computation, phonics, and/or spelling
• Distractibility and/or disorganization
• Supersensitivity
• Perfectionism
• Grasp of metaphors, analogies, satire
• Comprehension of complex systems
• Unreasonable self expectations
• Often, failure to complete assignments
• Difficulties with sequential tasks
• Wide variety of interests
(Baum, Owen, & Dixon, 1991; Silverman, 1989)
ADD/ADHD Issues
Research indicates that in many cases, a child is diagnosed with ADHD when in fact the child is gifted and reacting to an inappropriate curriculum (Webb & Latimer, 1993). The key to distinguishing between the two is the pervasiveness of the "acting out" behaviors. If the acting out is specific to certain situations, the child's behavior is more likely related to giftedness; whereas, if the behavior is consistent across all situations, the child's behavior is more likely related to ADHD. It is also possible for a child to be BOTH gifted and ADHD. The following lists highlight the similarities between giftedness and ADHD.
Characteristics of Gifted Students Who Are Bored
• Poor attention and daydreaming when bored
• Low tolerance for persistence on tasks that seem irrelevant
• Begin many projects, see few to completion
• Development of judgment lags behind intellectual growth
• Intensity may lead to power struggles with authorities
• High activity level; may need less sleep
• Difficulty restraining desire to talk; may be disruptive
• Question rules, customs, and traditions
• Lose work, forget homework, are disorganized
• May appear careless
• Highly sensitive to criticism
• Do not exhibit problem behaviors in all situations
• More consistent levels of performance at a fairly consistent pace
(Cline, 1999; Webb & Latimer, 1993)
Characteristics of Students with ADHD
• Poorly sustained attention
• Diminished persistence on tasks not having immediate consequences
• Often shift from one uncompleted activity to another
• Impulsivity, poor delay of gratification
• Impaired adherence to commands to regulate or inhibit behavior in social contexts
• More active, restless than other children
• Often talk excessively
• Often interrupt or intrude on others (e.g., butt into games)
• Difficulty adhering to rules and regulations
• Often lose things necessary for tasks or activities at home or school
• May appear inattentive to details
• Highly sensitive to criticism
• Problem behaviors exist in all settings, but in some are more severe
• Variability in task performance and time used to accomplish tasks.
(Barkley, 1990; Cline, 1999; Webb & Latimer, 1993)
Questions to Ask in Differentiating between Giftedness and ADHD
• Could the behaviors be responses to inappropriate placement, insufficient challenge, or lack of intellectual peers?
• Is the child able to concentrate when interested in the activity?
• Have any curricular modifications been made in an attempt to change inappropriate behaviors?
• Has the child been interviewed? What are his/her feelings about the behaviors?
• Does the child feel out of control? Do the parents perceive the child as being out of control?
• Do the behaviors occur at certain times of the day, during certain activities, with certain teachers or in certain environments?
Excerpt from ERIC Digest #E574, “Dual Exceptionalities,” by Colleen Willard-Holt.
Masking Giftedness
At times, various social and emotional issues may cause a child’s giftedness to be masked. Such issues may include perfectionism and underachievement. Check out some of the resources at the end of this handbook for more information about each of these concerns.
Characteristics of Underachievement
• High ability levels
• Low or inconsistent grades or performance on assignments
• Little or no effort or motivation
• Undeveloped work habits and disorganization
• Incomplete work
• Negative attitudes toward school and others
• Claims work is too easy or too hard
• ADD or ADHD behaviors
• Masking behaviors
• Social problems
Characteristics of Perfectionism
• Unreasonably high expectations for self
• Hesitates to attempt new or challenging tasks
• Requests lots of assistance and affirmation on challenging tasks
• Highly critical of own work and may speak poorly about own performance despite its quality
• Gives up easily when facing a challenge
• Has difficulty calling a project “finished”
• Extreme cases may also be evidenced by sleeplessness, depression, and/or eating disorders
This information comes from the various works by James Delisle and Judy Galbraith. See Resource section for titles.
MYTHS
Evidence of misunderstanding of gifted children can often be seen through the following beliefs propagated in educational settings.
Myth: Gifted programs are elitist.
Fact: Gifted children could become elitist if they continually have the highest grades in the class. By working and learning with others of the same ability level, children learn that they are not always the top student and that mastery of a subject should involve hard work.
Myth: Gifted kids should love school, get high grades, and greet each new school day with enthusiasm.
Fact: Most schools are geared for average learners, not gifted learners, which make it hard for gifted students to get excited about school. Some of the most talented students in the United States actually choose to drop out of school altogether.
Myth: Gifted students come from white middle-and upper-class families.
Fact: They come from all cultural, ethnic, religious, and socioeconomic groups.
Myth: Gifted kids have pushy parents.
Fact: Some do; some don’t. Some parents want to make sure that their children get the learning opportunities they need, and they may be very vocal and persistent about it. Other parents worry about calling extra attention to their children and say nothing.
Myth: Gifted kids are good at everything they do.
Fact: Some gifted students are good at many things; others are exceptionally able at only a few things. Some gifted students also have learning differences, which means that they might not be very good at schoolwork.
Myth: Teachers love having gifted students in their classes.
Fact: Some do; some don’t. Certain teachers feel uncomfortable with gifted students and get defensive when they suspect that their students know more than they do.
Myth: If gifted students are grouped together, they become snobbish and stuck-up.
Fact: Some do; some don’t. What’s especially pernicious about this myth is that adults have used it to rationalize decisions about not grouping gifted students or providing them with appropriate learning opportunities.
Myth: Gifted kids have trouble adjusting to school and forming friendships.
Fact: Some do; some don’t—just like other kids.
Myth: Gifted students don’t know they’re “different” unless someone tells them.
Fact: Most gifted kids don’t need to be identified or labeled before they know that they’re not quite like their age peers.
Myth: Gifted students must constantly be challenged and kept busy, or they’ll get lazy.
Fact: They might get bored, but they won’t necessarily get lazy.
Myth: Gifted kids are equally mature in all areas—academic, physical, social, and emotional.
Fact: That would be convenient, but it’s simply not true. Asynchronous development is common among gifted children. On the other hand, it’s not reasonable to assume that just because someone is advanced intellectually, he or she will lag behind in other developmental areas.
Myth: Gifted kids need to go through school with kids their own age.
Fact: They may need to play with them and interact socially with them, but they don’t necessarily need to learn with them. For the child who started reading at age four, a first-grade reading class can be torture.
Myth: Gifted kids tend to be weak and sickly.
Fact: Actually, gifted children tend to be physically stronger than their age peers. They have fewer illnesses and are generally taller and heavier.
Myth: It’s easy for teachers to recognize which children in their classes are gifted.
Fact: Teachers without any training in this area have only a fifty percent chance of accurately identifying gifted kids.
Myth: Gifted children are all alike.
Fact: There is no one “portrait” of a gifted student. Talents and strengths among the gifted vary as widely as they do with any sample of students drawn from a so-called “average” population. Some educators distinguish between academically gifted and socially gifted; between highly gifted and normally gifted; and between highly creative and highly talented students. Many other breakdowns and categories exist.
Myth: Gifted children share common psychological traits or personalities.
Fact: Some are outgoing risk-takers, challengers of the status quo. Some are quiet, satisfied with their private world. As learners, some need constant feedback; others don’t. Some need a tremendous amount of encouragement to perform, or a lot of structure. Others ask for help after class, or look up a special teacher years later to get advice.
Delisle, J. (2001). When Gifted Kids Don’t Have All the Answers, (pp. 26-29). Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit Press.
REFERRAL FOR GIFTED CONSIDERATION
On an annual basis the Southwest Licking district identifies students in grades K-12 who qualify as gifted in the following four areas: Superior Cognitive, Specific Academic, Creative Thinking Ability and Visual/Performing Arts. Students are identified according to Ohio Administrative Code 3301-51-15.
Although current formal programming is only offered by the district at grades three through eight, the state requires that we identify students in grades K-12. Classroom teachers are instrumental in recognizing students they see as possessing talent advanced for a particular grade level. Nominated students will be reviewed. The state relies solely on standardized test scores to identify superior cognitive and specific academic abilities. Students identified as gifted by another Ohio public school using the guidelines established by state law will maintain that identification status when transferring in to Southwest Licking Schools. For students nominated in a new area of identification, any past test scores will be noted and considered for identification if less than 24 months old. Students needing further evaluation will be given a Permission for Assessment Form for a parent signature. Students will be administered an achievement or ability test or both by the county gifted coordinator. Results will be sent to the parent, appropriate school building personnel, and the gifted teacher, and a copy will be placed in the student’s permanent file.
Teachers, parents, students, or peers may refer students for gifted consideration. They should contact an administrator, one of the gifted teachers, or the county gifted coordinator.
The following pages contain samples of the forms used in the identification and notification process. Once nominated students’ test scores have been examined, some students proceed to the next step, which is an additional assessment. Parents must approve the testing before administration can occur.
SOUTHWEST LICKING ELEMENTARY TEACHER
GIFTED AND TALENTED NOMINATION CHECKLIST
Nominated Student _____________________________ Part I: Learning Characteristics
| |1 |2 |3 |4 |
|1. Has unusually advanced vocabulary for age or grade level | | | | |
|2. Possesses a large storehouse of information about a variety of topics | | | | |
|(beyond the usual interest of youngsters his or her age) | | | | |
|3. Has quick mastery and recall of factual information | | | | |
|4. Has rapid insight into cause-effect relationships | | | | |
|5. Tries to discover the how and why of things | | | | |
|6. Asks many provocative questions (as distinct from information or factual | | | | |
|questions) | | | | |
|7. Has a ready grasp of underlying principles and can quickly make valid | | | | |
|generalizations about events, people, or things | | | | |
|8. Is a keen and alert observer | | | | |
|9. Usually "sees more" or "gets more" out of a story, film, etc. than others | | | | |
|10. Reads a great deal on his or her own | | | | |
|11. Reasons things out for him/her self | | | | |
| COLUMN TOTAL | | | | |
| WEIGHT |x1 |x2 |x3 |x4 |
| WEIGHTED COLUMN TOTAL | | | | |
| TOTAL SCORE | |
Date_________ Building ______________________
Grade______ Nominated by ____________________
Please circle the appropriate answer below.
WHAT IS THE STUDENT'S AREA(S) OF STRENGTH?
superior cognitive ability (generally high intelligence)
math, reading, language, science, social studies
WHAT IN PARTICULAR STANDS OUT ABOUT THIS STUDENT?
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
DIRECTIONS FOR COMPLETING THE CHECKLIST
Using this scale rate the student on characteristics described in each area:
|1-seldom or never |
|2-occasionally |
|3-considerably |
|4-almost always |
Note that the numeral at the top of each grid corresponds to the above rating scale. Place a checkmark in the grid column that most accurately reflects how well the student fulfills each statement.
**This checklist is meant to help you thoughtfully consider the nomination of a potentially gifted child. This score will not be used to determine gifted identification.
SOUTHWEST LICKING ELEMENTARY TEACHER
GIFTED AND TALENTED NOMINATION CHECKLIST
Part II: Motivational Characteristics Part III: Creativity Characteristics
| |1 |2 |3 |4 |
|1. Becomes absorbed and truly involved in certain topics or problems | | | | |
|(It is sometimes difficult to get him or her to move on to another | | | | |
|topic.) | | | | |
|2. Is easily bored with routine tasks | | | | |
|3. Needs little external motivation to follow through in work that | | | | |
|initially excites him or her | | | | |
|4. Strives toward perfection | | | | |
|5. Is self critical and is not easily satisfied with his or her own | | | | |
|speed or products | | | | |
|6. Prefers to work independently | | | | |
|7. Is interested in many "adult" problems such as religion, politics, | | | | |
|sex, race, war - more than usual for age level | | | | |
|8. Often is self-assertive (sometimes even aggressive) | | | | |
|9. Often introverted, but thinks deeply. | | | | |
|10. Is quite concerned with right and wrong, good and bad | | | | |
|11. Often evaluates and passes judgment on events, people, and things | | | | |
| COLUMN TOTAL | | | | |
| WEIGHT |x1 |x2 |x3 |x4 |
| WEIGHTED COLUMN TOTAL | | | | |
| TOTAL SCORE | |
| |1 |2 |3 |4 |
|1. Displays a great deal of curiosity about many things | | | | |
|2. Is constantly asking questions about anything and everything | | | | |
|3. Generates a large number of ideas or solutions to problems and questions | | | | |
|4. Often offers unusual "way out," unique, clever responses | | | | |
|5. Is sometimes radical and spirited in disagreement | | | | |
|6. Often concerned with adapting, improving, and modifying institutions, objects,| | | | |
|and systems | | | | |
|7. Displays a great deal of intellectual playfulness, fantasizes, imagines (I | | | | |
|wonder what would happen if...) | | | | |
|8. Displays a keen sense of humor | | | | |
|9. Shows emotional sensitivity | | | | |
|10. Is sensitive to beauty | | | | |
|11. Is nonconforming, individualistic | | | | |
|12. Is not interested in details | | | | |
|13. Accepts disorder | | | | |
| COLUMN TOTAL | | | | |
| WEIGHT |x1 |x2 |x3 |x4 |
| WEIGHTED COLUMN TOTAL | | | | |
| TOTAL SCORE | |
SOUTHWEST LICKING ELEMENTARY PARENT
GIFTED AND TALENTED NOMINATION CHECKLIST
Nominated Student _____________________________ Part I: Learning Characteristics
| |1 |2 |3 |4 |
|1. Has unusually advanced vocabulary for age or grade level | | | | |
|2. Possesses a large storehouse of information about a variety of topics | | | | |
|(beyond the usual interest of youngsters his or her age) | | | | |
|3. Has quick mastery and recall of factual information | | | | |
|4. Usually has a deeper understanding and gets more out of a book or visual | | | | |
|presentation | | | | |
|5. Tries to discover the how and why of things | | | | |
|6. Asks many provocative questions (as distinct from information or factual | | | | |
|questions) | | | | |
|7. Has rapid insight into cause & effect relationships | | | | |
|8. Learns math processes and concepts quickly | | | | |
|9. Puts unrelated ideas together in a new way or order | | | | |
|10. Reads a great deal on his or her own and does not avoid difficult material | | | | |
|11. Reasons things out for him/her self; sees logical and common sense answers | | | | |
|independently | | | | |
|12. Sees humor in situations that may not be humorous to others; is playful | | | | |
|with words | | | | |
|13. Shows positive leadership qualities | | | | |
| COLUMN TOTAL | | | | |
| WEIGHT |x1 |x2 |x3 |x4 |
| WEIGHTED COLUMN TOTAL | | | | |
| TOTAL SCORE | |
Date_________ Building ______________________
Grade______ Nominated by ____________________
Please circle the appropriate answer below.
WHAT IS THE STUDENT'S AREA(S) OF STRENGTH?
superior cognitive ability (generally high intelligence)
math, reading, language, science, social studies
WHAT IN PARTICULAR STANDS OUT ABOUT THIS STUDENT?
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
DIRECTIONS FOR COMPLETING THE CHECKLIST
Using this scale rate the student on characteristics described in each area:
|1-seldom or never |
|2-occasionally |
|3-considerably |
|4-almost always |
Note that the numeral at the top of each grid corresponds to the above rating scale. Place a checkmark in the grid column that most accurately reflects how well the student fulfills each statement.
**This checklist is meant to help you thoughtfully consider the nomination of a potentially gifted child. This score will not be used to determine gifted identification.
SOUTHWEST LICKING ELEMENTARY PARENT
GIFTED AND TALENTED NOMINATION CHECKLIST
Part II: Motivational Characteristics Part III: Creativity Characteristics
| |1 |2 |3 |4 |
|1. Becomes absorbed and truly involved in certain topics or problems | | | | |
|(It is sometimes difficult to get him or her to move on to another | | | | |
|topic.) | | | | |
|2. Is easily bored with routine tasks | | | | |
|3. Needs little external motivation to follow through in work that | | | | |
|initially excites him or her | | | | |
|4. Strives toward perfection | | | | |
|5. Is self critical and is not easily satisfied with his or her own | | | | |
|speed or products | | | | |
|6. Prefers to work independently | | | | |
|7. Is interested in many "adult" problems such as religion, politics, | | | | |
|sex, race, war - more than usual for age level | | | | |
|8. Often is self-assertive (sometimes even aggressive) | | | | |
|9. Often introverted, but thinks deeply. | | | | |
|10. Is quite concerned with right and wrong, good and bad | | | | |
|11. Often evaluates and passes judgment on events, people, and things | | | | |
| COLUMN TOTAL | | | | |
| WEIGHT |x1 |x2 |x3 |x4 |
| WEIGHTED COLUMN TOTAL | | | | |
| TOTAL SCORE | |
| |1 |2 |3 |4 |
|1. Displays a great deal of curiosity about many things | | | | |
|2. Is constantly asking questions about anything and everything | | | | |
|3. Generates a large number of ideas or solutions to problems and questions | | | | |
|4. Often offers unusual "way out," unique, clever responses | | | | |
|5. Is uninhibited in expressing opinions | | | | |
|6. Often concerned with adapting, improving, and modifying institutions, objects,| | | | |
|and systems | | | | |
|7. Displays a great deal of intellectual playfulness, fantasizes, imagines (I | | | | |
|wonder what would happen if...) | | | | |
|8. Displays a keen sense of humor | | | | |
|9. Shows emotional sensitivity | | | | |
|10. Is sensitive to beauty and aesthetics often unnoticed by others | | | | |
|11. Is nonconforming, individualistic | | | | |
|12. Accepts disorder | | | | |
|13. Is unwilling to accept authoritarian pronouncement without critical | | | | |
|examination | | | | |
| COLUMN TOTAL | | | | |
| WEIGHT |x1 |x2 |x3 |x4 |
| WEIGHTED COLUMN TOTAL | | | | |
| TOTAL SCORE | |
SOUTHWEST LICKING ELEMENTARY STUDENT
GIFTED AND TALENTED NOMINATION FORM
Nominated Student ____________________________________________________________
Date_______________________ Building ________________________________________
Grade_________ Nominated by _________________________________________________
Please circle the appropriate answer below.
WHAT IS THE STUDENT'S AREA(S) OF STRENGTH?
superior cognitive ability (generally high intelligence, problem solving, creativity)
math reading /language science social studies
WHAT IN PARTICULAR STANDS OUT ABOUT THIS STUDENT?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
**Please return this form to the gifted intervention specialist in your school.
LETTER TO NOMINATE GIFTED CHILDREN
Licking County Educational Service Center
675 Price Road Newark, Ohio 43055
6087. FAX 740-349-6107
TO: Classroom Teachers
FROM: Coordinator of Gifted Services
RE: Gifted Identification
DATE:
The state of Ohio requires that we identify children who are or have the potential to be gifted in grades K-12. Students may be nominated in the areas of Superior Cognitive, Specific Academic (in Reading, Writing, Math, Science, or Social Studies), Creative Thinking Ability, and or Visual and/or Performing Arts. Your help is invaluable in helping me meet this requirement. Would you please consider the children in your class(es) you think may possess characteristics of giftedness that warrant further investigation and complete the attached paperwork? We really are looking for maybe one or two students who stand out among their peers as exceptional. It could be you have none in your class this year. Please refer to your gifted handbook for more information about the characteristics of gifted children.
Those children who are already identified do not have to be re-examined. Refer to your list of identified students in your classroom. Attached is a list of students in our screening pool who may be good candidates for retesting. Please remember that this information is confidential and should not be shared with others, including students. Thank you.
PLEASE COMPLETE AND RETURN THIS FORM TO THE GIFTED TEACHER BY _________________, OR TO ME BY FAX 740-349-6107. YOU MAY MAKE ADDITONAL COPIES AS NECESSARY.
Thanks so much for all your help!
Southwest Licking Local Schools
Permission for Assessment
Child’s Name ____________________________________________ Date of Birth: / /
Address:
Parent/Guardian: Phone:
School: Grade: Referred By:
Your child has been referred as a potentially gifted child. Assessments are required for identification purposes. The following assessments may be administered to your child:
Otis Lennon School Ability Test
Iowa Test of Basic Skills
Woodcock Johnson Achievement Tests
No assessment will be done without your written permission. Please read the information below and return this form to school as soon as possible. If you have questions, please contact: _________, Coordinator of Gifted Services at 740-349-6094.
TESTING IS FOR IDENTIFICATION PURPOSES ONLY AND DOES NOT MEAN THAT GIFTED SERVICES WILL BE OFFERED.
I understand that if I grant permission, my child will receive assessment(s) by designated school personnel and that the information may be shared with teachers, principals, and other appropriate school personnel. I will be informed of whether or not my child qualifies, according to the State of Ohio criteria, for gifted identification.
( Permission is given to conduct the assessment(s)
( Permission is denied
Signature Relationship to Child Date
Please return to your child’s teacher by ______________________.
SAMPLE GROUP TEST COVER LETTER
SOUTHWEST LICKING LOCAL SCHOOLS
Date
Dear Parent(s) or Guardian(s):
Southwest Licking Local Schools recently administered the Terra Nova achievement tests in reading, mathematics, science, and social studies and the InView Test of Abilities to students in grades 2, 5, and 7. Scores from these tests are used to monitor student progress, to assist in curriculum planning, to identify students as gifted, and to make recommendations for support services such as reading intervention.
Your child’s scores on the assessments are included on the enclosed home report. The Terra Nova test is a formal assessment given in a limited amount of time. It is considered to be a snapshot of academic performance that complements assessment information from classroom assignments of longer duration and from quarterly progress reports.
The results of the Terra Nova are reported as percentile scores, which indicate how your child’s performance compares with that of students around the country who took the same test. A score of the 50th percentile or above indicates that a student is performing at or above grade level. A student who scores below the 50th percentile on the Terra Nova test may need additional instructional support to perform well on future tests including the Ohio Achievement Tests. A score of the 95th percentile or above indicates performance in the gifted range for that subject area according to Ohio Department of Education guidelines.
In addition, the report contains results from the InView Test of Abilities. This test assesses general reasoning abilities and is also a “point-in-time” assessment that should be viewed in conjunction with other assessment information (e.g., grades, other standardized tests). Scores reported on the attached report include the Cognitive Skills Index (CSI) and National Percentiles by Age for both verbal and non-verbal subtests. A score of 100 on the CSI is considered “average,” with most students scoring between 84 and 116. A score of 129 or above on this test would be considered in the gifted range according to Ohio Department of Education guidelines. A National Percentile by Age indicates how a student performed compared to other students of his/her age.
For students scoring in the gifted range, various enrichment opportunities are available based on grade level and area of identification. If your child qualifies for gifted services, you will be notified. A second achievement test administration may be requested if a student score falls between the 93rd and 94th percentile on any subject area Terra Nova test, and a second ability test administration may be requested if a student score falls between 124 and 128 on the InView. Parents may make that request by contacting me no later than ____________.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the school or leave a message for me at (740) 349-6094.
Sincerely,
Gifted Coordinator, Licking County Educational Service Center
SAMPLE NOTIFICATION LETTER FROM GROUP TESTING
Date
To the parents of ______________________________,
This letter is notification of the results of testing and not notification of inclusion in the gifted class. A placement committee will meet to determine those students with scores meeting the criteria for gifted services. If your child’s scores meet the criteria for gifted services, you will receive a second letter inviting him/her to attend the gifted class.
In (month), some of the students at Southwest Licking Schools took the Terra Nova and the InView. One of the uses of this testing is to identify children who perform well above average and are gifted in one or more areas. For identification in the specific academic area, the State of Ohio has set the criteria as performing at or above the 95th percentile in a specific area, such as reading, or math. The percentile rank scores compare your child’s performance with scores of students in the same grade from across the nation. For identification as superior cognitive, a child must perform at or above the 95th percentile on the achievement test core battery (Terra Nova) or have a CSI (Cognitive Skills Index) of 129 or above on the ability test (InView). According to Administrative Code 3301-51-15, parents must be notified of testing results.
❑ Your child's assessment results meet the State of Ohio criteria to be identified as gifted.
Your child is identified in the area(s) of:
❑ Superior Cognitive
( Specific Academic
( Reading ( Math ( Science ( Social Studies
Gifted identification does not guarantee gifted service. Placement is based on specific criteria outlined in the district policy and in compliance with state rules. If your child meets the service criteria, you will receive an additional letter of notification. Any placements will take effect in the fall of next school year.
If you have any questions, please contact me at (740) 349-6094.
If you disagree with the above, you may appeal the decision.
Sincerely,
Gifted Coordinator, Licking County Educational Service Center
SAMPLE NOTIFICATION LETTER FROM INDIVIDUAL TESTING
Southwest Licking Local School District
GIFTED IDENTIFICATION
Date
To the parents of _________:
Listed below are the standardized test results for gifted identification. The Otis Lennon School Ability Test and the Iowa Test of Basic Skills were given by ________, Coordinator for Gifted Services. If you have any questions concerning the results, please feel free to contact _________ at the Licking County Educational Service Center at 349-6094 or the Elementary Gifted Specialist at 927-7281.
Student: __________________
School: __________________ School
Grade Level: ___
Date of Testing: ____________________
Name of Ability Test: Otis Lennon School Ability Test, 8th Edition
Composite Score: ___
Name of Achievement Test: Iowa Tests of Basic Skills
Math: ___ %ile
Evaluation: Based on recent testing, ______ is/not identified as gifted in _________. At this time, _____ does/not meet the criteria for gifted services. (Explanation will be given according to the test outcomes.)
Interpreting these scores:
The composite score for the OLSAT is a standard score. The typical score for a child _______’s age is 100. The scores listed above for the subject area tests are called a percentile rank. This number indicates the percentage of individuals that the student outperformed at his or her grade level. For example, a fourth grader who scored an 88 percentile on a test performed better than 88 percent of the students at that grade level. Students must score 95th percentile or above in order to be identified as gifted.
Cc: Principal
Teacher
Gifted Coordinator
Student’s File
PROGRAM GOALS
The purpose of this guide is to assist teachers and administrators in serving the gifted and talented child in a risk-free specialized environment and within the regular classroom setting. By including broad based goals, teachers may use this document as a tool to develop challenging and appropriate curriculum for the Gifted and Talented at any level and within any setting. We support and encourage the teacher practice of prescriptive instruction where pre-assessment is used to determine the instructional levels of individual students. We also support the development of curriculum for gifted and talented students that progresses at an appropriate pace and depth within a multidisciplinary framework based upon the child’s instructional and cognitive level. The development of this curriculum must be ongoing and allow for evaluation and revision when appropriate.
In addition, other students benefit by the differentiation activities in any given classroom, when pre-assessment is used. While the state mandates the identification criteria, we recognize that not all children test well and may also exhibit advanced knowledge. By determining a student's level of readiness, the regular classroom teacher can offer different learning opportunities to both the identified gifted and the high achieving student. Gifted education is not meant to be exclusionary, however, special attention must be given so that children of high ability do not become complacent and equate education with "an easy A" obtained with minimal effort.
The ultimate goals of educational services for the gifted and talented are
1. To provide opportunities for gifted students to be adequately stimulated and challenged by frequently and consistently interacting with their intellectual peers in a specialized risk-free environment
2. To provide continual opportunities in area(s) of the students’ identification that will extend the academic content standards by addressing the depth, breadth, and pace at which these students learn
3. To promote intellectual growth, to develop self-discipline, and to experience a sense of accomplishment and self worth by participating in learning experiences that are both challenging and demanding
4. To encourage creativity, productivity, critical thinking, compassion, and a healthy concept of self to include issues inherently related to gifted and talented students
5. To facilitate the exchange of knowledge, skills, information, and ideas among students
These may be accomplished by providing needed guidance and an appropriate curriculum of knowledge, skills, and processes throughout the total educational program.
PLACEMENT OPTIONS
Gifted services occur in many different forms in the school district. Some possible options that may be available to both gifted and/or high achieving students include:
ACCELERATION
A student may be accelerated or advanced to the next grade level in one or more subjects. Studies have shown that single subject acceleration, particularly in math, may lead to up to an additional 3/5 year of academic growth. Its mixed impact on socialization and self-esteem warrant consideration when choosing this service (Rogers, 2002, 123). The more significant step of grade acceleration may be appropriate for very advanced students. Tom Southern and Eric Jones’ studies shows that in the right situation, grade acceleration, or “grade skipping,” can allow for dramatic academic gains and even social maturing (Rogers, 2002, 168). Documentation through standardized testing and class performance should show that the student has mastered the concepts in a specific content area or grade level. When a student is accelerated, social and emotional factors should be considered as well. Acceleration consideration may come at the request of a student, parent, and/or teacher. The decision to accelerate will be made with input from the classroom teacher, guidance counselor, parent, school psychologist, student, and administrator. The district acceleration policy must be followed ensuring that this process is made available to all students who demonstrate a need for this option. This may also include Early Entrance. Refer to the Acceleration section of this manual for more information about this placement option.
ADVANCED MIDDLE SCHOOL SCIENCE PROGRAM
The advanced middle grade science program allows students already proficient in science to develop their interest and abilities in the area by advancing through the curriculum at an accelerated pace. Students are eligible for the class upon the placement criteria listed on the following pages. This class is available for identified gifted students.
ADVANCED PLACEMENT PROGRAM
The Advanced Placement (AP) Program is a cooperative educational endeavor between secondary schools, colleges, and universities. It exposes high school students to college-level material through involvement in an AP course. AP courses often take more time and go into greater depth than usual high school courses. It also gives students the opportunity to show that they have mastered the material by taking an AP exam. Colleges and universities may then grant credit, placement, or both, to students passing the exam with a certain score. AP prepares students for the future by giving them tools that will serve them well throughout their careers. This class is available and encouraged for identified gifted and/or high achieving students.
ADVANCED MIDDLE SCHOOL MATH PROGRAM
Students are considered for placement in advanced math based on math or superior cognitive gifted identification. Students may be placed in advanced math in grade 6 or 7 or Algebra 1 in grade 8. This class advances through materials at an accelerated pace. This class is available for identified gifted students as space allows using the criteria in this book.
CAREER SHADOWING
Throughout their schooling children should investigate and evaluate possible careers. The study should extend beyond the school and incorporate items such as names of known experts in that field, salary projections, learning available on the job, stress levels, time commitment expected, prestige, and job satisfaction. The Licking County Educational Service Center offers a program that allows students to investigate first hand possible career choices. Twelve gifted and/or high achieving 7th grade students from Watkins Middle School indicate a field of interest from a given list and apply for acceptance into the program. Groups of students visit a business site, converse with a professional in the field, and learn about the demands of the career first hand.
CHALLENGE
Challenge is a self-contained gifted language arts class for students in grades six, seven, and eight addressing the needs of students identified as having high ability and with gifted scores in reading per state criteria. Students work at an advanced pace, studying topics in more depth and complexity. In addition, critical thinking, creativity, and social and emotional needs of gifted students are addressed through coursework. Participation in the elementary Voyage program does not automatically lead to placement in the middle school Challenge program.
CLUSTER GROUPING
Cluster grouping is a means by which normally four to eight identified gifted students are selectively placed in a regular classroom together to provide them with differentiated instruction in the areas of their identification. Students who are cluster grouped should be placed with a teacher who has had training and is knowledgeable about working with gifted students. The teacher will provide meaningful curriculum at a level that is more appropriate for these students. The county coordinator of gifted services and the district teachers of gifted also serve as resources to help fellow teachers understand and work with gifted students.
DISTANCE LEARNING
Students may participate in distance learning courses, as they become available. The hope is that students will be able to take advantage of such offerings without leaving the school grounds. This option is available for identified gifted and/or high achieving students.
HIGH SCHOOL HONORS CLASSES
Students at the high school have an opportunity to enroll in honors classes in a variety of subjects that are more challenging than the regular classes. These classes are available and encouraged for identified gifted and/or high achieving students.
MENTORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
An opportunity sponsored by the Licking County Educational Service Center, the Mentorship Program offers high achieving juniors and seniors first hand career experiences before entering college full time. Students selected for the program indicate a field of interest, and county gifted coordinators contact mentors to work with them. The students must spend at least twenty hours during a semester with their mentors, who introduce the field and share their expertise. This option is available and encouraged for identified gifted and/or high achieving students.
POST SECONDARY EDUCATION OPTION
Students may take college courses at a college campus while still in high school by participating in the post secondary education option. Students normally need a certain ACT or SAT scores plus a high grade point average to be eligible to participate. The specific criteria for inclusion differ among the colleges and not all colleges offer this option. Students must attend a district counseling meeting to participate.
VOYAGE (ELEMENTARY GIFTED PROGRAM)
Voyage is a pullout class, which students in grades three, four, and five attend one day a week. Students expand the academic content standards across all subjects in more depth, breadth, and at a faster pace. In addition, the coursework seeks to develop critical and creative thinking skills as well as the social and emotional skills specific to gifted children. According to research, this type of focus in the enrichment class will lead to greater academic improvement and result in gains in critical and creative thinking (Rogers, 2002, 221-223). Participation in the elementary gifted program does not guarantee placement in the middle school gifted class.
References
Delisle, J., & Lewis, B. (2003). The Survival Guide for Teachers of Gifted Kids. Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit Publishing.
Rogers, K. (2002). Reforming Gifted Education. Scottsdale, AZ; Great Potential Press.
ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
DIFFERENTIATION & ENRICHMENT
The gifted specialist will consult and co-teach with teachers to meet the needs of gifted students in the regular classroom. Differentiation is the changing of curriculum and/or instruction to best suit the needs of students. There is an abundance of research available that points to the positive affects of small changes in classroom instruction, such as eliminating excess and unnecessary review, providing alternative activities in place of review lessons, modifying requirements and details of class assignments, and flexible small grouping within class (Rogers, 2002, 118). Kent State Professor, Jim Delisle, notes that, when consistently applied in classrooms, this type of service allows for instruction of gifted students to align with state and national curriculum standards, reduction in the stigma associated with a “gifted” label, and less expectation of the students to complete “extra work” missed during a pull-out time (Delisle & Lewis, 2003, 74). Students can be pre-tested for prior knowledge and from there be offered appropriate curriculum. Teachers are encouraged to offer their students some form of differentiation, especially teachers of clustered classrooms. Information, sample lessons, or resources can be obtained from the gifted teachers in the district or the coordinator of gifted services at the Licking County Educational Service Center. Refer to the reference list at the end of this manual for differentiation resources.
AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS
Most schools offer one or more afterschool clubs that serve as a form of enrichment. Students may self-select afterschool involvement based on their personal talents and interests.
SPECIAL PROGRAMS
Throughout the year, different local and county competitions and events occur at various grade levels. Some examples include the Elementary and Middle School Spelling Bees, Junior High and High School Quiz Bowls, Battle of the Books, and Power of the Pen. Students may opt to participate based on interests and teacher requirements.
SUMMER SCHOOL ENRICHMENT
Each summer, a special enrichment program is offered as part of the district’s summer school. Students may choose to participate based on interest and availability.
DIFFERENTIATION STRATEGIES
Grouping
In recent years, heterogeneous grouping has been promoted as the ideal teaching situation for all students. In theory, higher students can aid the lower students pulling everyone to higher levels. Recent research has shown this to be true for average learners and low learners. It has also shown that high students tend to have lower achievement levels due to less challenge. Therefore, it is recommended that gifted students be grouped separately for learning tasks. When doing cooperative activities that involve academic tasks, group gifted students together and the other students heterogeneously. This will also make it easier to modify the assignment appropriately for the gifted group. Then, when doing group activities that are for social interaction or class building, mix all of the students together again. Gifted students can certainly benefit from interacting with their classmates in these types of activities.
Questioning
One of the easiest ways to challenge students is through questioning. Questions should begin with basic recall and move up through the levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy. Highly-abled students should focus heavily on those questions that require analytical, creative, and evaluative thinking. Higher-level questions are often open-ended. They can be used for class or group discussion or for writing prompts. They may be an assessment tool or an anticipatory activity prior to a new lesson.
Most Difficult First
This strategy is ideal for assignments that are practice such as math problems or grammar drills. It is easy to implement with little preparation. First, identify the most difficult items of an assignment, 5-10 depending on the number of items on the page. Students may choose to complete the entire sheet or just the most difficult ones. If a child chooses the most difficult, he must get at least a 90% or higher to be exempt from the other problems. That score then becomes his grade in your grade book. The first person to get a 100% on the most difficult items is the checker for the rest. If the student does not get a 90% or higher, he/she must complete the rest of the sheet as usual. This way, students who have already mastered a skill may move on to more complex items or independent study as directed by the teacher.
Modified Assignments
This strategy requires some advanced planning but can be as elaborate or simple as you choose and as needed by the student. Modified projects can be assigned to specific students or as an extension for the entire class. Begin with the regular expected outcome or assignment. Then simply add or replace the existing verb with a higher level verb. From that point, modify any additional instructions to match the new outcome task. For example, the class assignment may be to write an essay explaining the impact of the Challenger explosion on the US Space program. The modified assignment may be to explain how the impact may have been different had the explosion occurred on a shuttle from another country. This second assignment requires speculation, greater analysis, and synthesis.
Tiered Lessons
Tiered assignments are similar to modified assignments. The regular classroom assignment can serve as the bottom or middle level depending on the needs of your class. The assignment is then modified to a higher level to be the next tier up for advanced students. The regular assignment can also be modified down a level to meet the needs of special education students. You can have as many or as few tiers as you need. If you wish, you make another level of the assignment even higher for exceptional students. The assignments are then distributed to individuals or groups as you see fit. The core objective for all levels is the same. The differences lie in tiered difficulty for one or more of the following lesson elements: objectives, materials, direct instruction, learning activities, products, or assessment.
Pretesting and Excusing
As teachers, we are the guardians of fairness and equality. We help our children how to at fairly with others. When we couple that responsibility with the pressure of accountability for student achievement, we tend to be a bit leery of excusing students from practice assignments tied to skills they have previously mastered. After all, is it really fair to not make them do the exact same work as the other students? Don’t we have to have the same grades for everyone? The answers, in order, are yes and no.
If you choose to pretest and opt a student out of a review assignment, the gradebook won’t suffer. You can put their grade on the replacement assignment in the book or, if the child is missing multiple assignments to work on a single large project, simply put that project grade in the spot of each of the missed assignments. Remember, we are responsible for documenting that a student is at the standards. There is no rule saying we have to do that more than once.
Replacement Activities
One of the things kids complain about enrichment is that it means extra work. The traditional approach has been to provide extra tasks for students when they finish their work early. Sadly, some students will just do the minimum requirements in order to avoid this additional work. Instead, we propose replacing some assignments with challenge tasks. For example, if a student has mastered the math skill just taught, have them complete an enrichment page instead of math boxes. There is no need to repeat work that you already know they can do. If students are reading above level, replace the skill practice sheet with an enrichment task or replace the story with a novel unit.
Choices
Providing students with choices about their learning activities helps them experience ownership and increases motivation based on interest. One method is to create Tic-Tac-Toe menus with various product options. Create a 3x3 or 4x4 grid. In each box, enter a unit-related activity for students to complete. These activities should reflect a range of learning styles and multiple intelligences, and they should ideally require higher level thinking skills and/or creativity. One box is left for student choice with teacher permission. Students are required to complete a row or column or diagonal of activities. If activities are placed correctly on the grid, every child will be able to experience something of comfort and still be stretched by an activity different from their strengths.
Stations, basically the same as centers, are another way to in corporate choice in classrooms. They are separate tasks outside of the desk assignments and can be completed by one child or by small groups. For gifted children, you may approach this in a variety of ways. Some stations may be assigned as part of a learning contract or as time fillers after completing Most Difficult First tasks. Or, activities may be done on an interest only basis. Either way, the tasks should be higher level, allow for open-ended response, and be of value to the student. They may be short activities or long term explorations. An easy way to manage these is to put the materials in a plastic tub with a lid. The tub can then be taken to the child’s desk for easy access and less classroom chaos.
Diagnostic-Prescriptive Contracts
This strategy, an elaboration of pretesting and replacement activities, is time consuming initially but reaps the greatest rewards. Begin by having students complete an assessment at the beginning of a new unit. Textbooks often have these pre-made. Students who score 90& or higher on the pretest can participate in the contract. If a child scores at least 90% but less than 100%, the student will attend the lessons for skills he missed and will take the end assessment. A 100% on the pre-test earns 100% for the end assessment and assignments in the unit since mastery has been shown. The contract contains activities for deeper exploration of a topic or advanced levels of the skill. The contract students work quietly on their alternative activities during class time. Able students can move on without repeating what they already know, often improving achievement and motivation.
Independent Study
Independent Study is similar to Learning Contracts in that a student who is advanced is working on independent projects during regular class time. A contract may be used to manage tasks. This works well for content-rich units rather than skill units. The student receives a study guide with key points or objectives for the lessons and the timeline for assessment. The student takes assessments with the remainder of the class, but uses the guide to master material at his own pace. During class, the student completes research and develops a product about a complex issue related to the unit. For example, a unit on the Civil War may lead to a focus on one battle for independent study. Of course, the level of complexity and nature of the product might change with age. In first grade, it might be a poster about a particular season, in 3rd grade it might be a Venn diagram comparing two animal protective traits, and in 5th grade it might be a persuasive paper on an environmental issue. The student becomes the resident expert and shares his or her learning with the class. It takes some teacher preparation, but ultimately the work is the student’s and allows for interest and ability-based learning. The student then is the resident expert and shares his learning with the class.
Winebrenner, S. (2001). Teaching gifted kids in the regular classroom. Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit Publishing.
WRITTEN EDUCATION PLAN (WEP)
Instruction of gifted students placed in a district service option shall be based on the individual's needs and be guided by a written education plan. According to state law, students who are counted as served by the school district must have a written education plan. A WEP will only be written for students participating in a placement option listed in this manual and only if that option coincides with the student’s area of identification. This plan outlines the type of service given to the child and may list activities and instruction that address the needs of the student. The district shall provide parents with periodic reports regarding the effectiveness of the placement provided in accordance with the gifted child's educational plan.
SAMPLE WRITTEN EDUCATION PLAN
SOUTHWEST LICKING LOCAL SCHOOLS
WRITTEN EDUCATION PLAN
2007-2008 SCHOOL YEAR
Name _________________________________________________ Grade _________ Date of Birth __________________
Area(s) of Identification: ( Superior Cognitive ( Creativity
( Mathematics ( Reading/Language Arts ( Science ( Social Studies
( Fine Arts ( Music ( Dance ( Drama
Placement: _________________________________________________________________________________________________
|Goals & Objectives |Modifications & Methods |Assessment |
| | | |
| | | |
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GIFTED CLASS PLACEMENT CRITERIA
| |Voyage |Challenge |Middle School Honors |Middle School Honors |High School Honors and |
| |1 Day/Wk Pullout |Advanced Language Arts |Math |Science |AP Courses |
| |Grades 3-5 |Grades 6-8 | | | |
|Round 1 |Superior Cognitive |Superior Cognitive |Superior Cognitive |Superior Cognitive |Prior Superior Cognitive|
| |identification based on |identification based on |identification based on |identification based on |identification OR |
| |ability test score AND |ability test score AND |ability test score AND |ability test score AND |identification in |
| |identification in 4 |identification in reading |identification in |identification in science|subject area related to |
| |subject areas |with reading test scores ≥|mathematics | |course content |
| | |95th %ile | | | |
|Round 2 |Superior Cognitive |Superior Cognitive |Math identification AND |Science identification | |
| |identification based on |identification with CSI |CSI score ≥ 116 |AND CSI score ≥ 116 | |
| |ability test score AND |score ≥ 116 AND | | | |
| |identification in reading|identification in reading | | | |
| |and math | | | | |
|Round 3 |Superior Cognitive |Superior Cognitive |Superior Cognitive |Superior Cognitive | |
| |identification based on |identification based on |identification based on |identification based on | |
| |ability test score |ability test score AND |ability test score AND |ability test score | |
| | |prior identification in |mathematics score ≥ 91st| | |
| | |reading |%ile | | |
|Round 4 |Total achievement, |Total achievement and |Superior Cognitive |Superior Cognitive | |
| |reading, and math test |reading test scores ≥ 95th|identification based on |identification based on | |
| |scores ≥ 95th %ile AND |%ile |ability test score AND |ability test score AND | |
| |CSI score ≥ 120 | |prior identification in |prior identification in | |
| | | |mathematics |science | |
|Round 5 | | |Total achievement and |Total achievement and | |
| | | |math test scores ≥ 95th |science test scores ≥ | |
| | | |%ile |95th %ile | |
|Round 6 | | |Prior Superior Cognitive|Prior Superior Cognitive | |
| | | |identification |identification | |
|Round 7 | | |Prior mathematics |Prior science | |
| | | |identification |identification | |
**Placement is based on most recent test scores unless otherwise noted.
**Placement begins with Round 1 criteria and continues through each round until the class is full.
**If the number of eligible students in a given round exceeds the number of available slots in the class, students will be placed by CSI scores in descending order.
**If the class is not full after following this placement procedure, the slots will remain open to accommodate newly identified and transfer students in accordance with Ohio rules governing equal access to service.
**Students who meet these criteria based on annual group testing will be placed in appropriate service(s) in the fall of the next school year.
**Students who were placed in this program prior to the modification of these criteria will remain eligible for the program in which they were placed unless withdrawn as a result of parent request or IAT decision.
GIFTED PLACEMENT COMMITTEE
Purpose
Assign students to district gifted placement options in accordance with the placement criteria listed in this manual.
Responsibilities
Develop class lists for Voyage, Challenge, Advanced Middle School Mathematics, and Advanced Middle School Science.
New placements are made annually based on most recent test scores available.
Form gifted cluster groups for elementary cluster classes.
Make recommendations for high school participation in Honors, Advanced Placement, Post Secondary Educational Options, and Mentorship programs.
Submit recommendations to building administrators for final approval and implementation.
Members
County Gifted Coordinator
Elementary Gifted Intervention Specialist
Middle School Gifted Intervention Specialist
CLUSTER CLASS PLACEMENT GUIDELINES
Each cluster consists of 4-8 superior cognitive gifted students. If a group is greater than 10 students, the cluster will be split between two classes. If clusters are formed by other areas of identification, every attempt will be made to cluster students with common identifications.
The remainder of the class roster will consist of students with low-average to high ability and achievement.
Other classes without gifted clusters will include students ranging from low performing to high achieving students and may include other special needs students.
The teachers of classes with gifted clusters will have training and/or experience in gifted education.
Instruction should vary in pace, depth, and complexity according to student needs.
1. The building gifted intervention specialist is available as a resource to cluster teachers.
2. The use of this service must be consistently applied across buildings serving the same grade levels. This ensures equal access to services in accordance with Ohio Administrative Code.
Cluster Grouping of Gifted Students:
How to Provide Full-Time Services on a Part-Time Budget
by Susan Winebrenner and Barbara Devlin from the National Association of Gifted Children at
retrieved on May 10, 2005
What does it mean to place gifted students in cluster groups?
A group of five to eight identified gifted students, usually those in the top 5% of ability in the grade level population, are clustered in the classroom of one teacher who has training in how to teach exceptionally capable students. The other students in that class are of mixed ability. If there are more than eight to ten gifted students, two or more clusters should be formed.
Isn't cluster grouping the same as tracking?
No. In a tracking system, all students are grouped by ability for much of the school day, and students tend to remain in the same track throughout their school experience. Gifted students benefit from learning together, and need to be placed with similar students in their area of strength (Hoover, Sayler, & Feldhusen, 1993; Kulik & Kulik, 1990; Rogers, 1993). Cluster grouping of students allows them to learn together, while avoiding permanent grouping arrangements for students of other ability levels.
Why should gifted students be placed in a cluster group instead of being assigned evenly to all classes?
When teachers try to meet the diverse learning needs of all students, it becomes extremely difficult to provide adequately for everyone. Often, the highest ability students are expected to "make it on their own." When a teacher has several gifted students, taking the time to make appropriate provisions for them seems more realistic. Furthermore, gifted students can better understand and accept their learning differences if there are others just like them in the class.
Finally, scheduling out-of-class activities is easier when the resource teacher has only one cluster teacher's schedule to work with.
What are the learning needs of gifted students?
Since these students have previously mastered many of the concepts they are expected to "learn" in a given class, a huge part of their school time may be wasted. They need exactly what all other students need: consistent opportunity to learn new material and to develop the behaviors that allow them to cope with the challenge and struggle of new learning. It is very difficult for such students to have those needs met in heterogeneous classes.
Isn't gifted education elitist?
Gifted students need consistent opportunities to learn at their challenge level—just as all students do. It is inequitable to prevent gifted students from being challenged by trying to apply one level of difficulty for all students in mixed-ability classes. When teachers can provide opportunities for all students, including those who are gifted, to be challenged by rigorous curriculum, there is nothing elitist about the situation.
Don't we need gifted students in all classes so they can help others learn through cooperative learning, peer tutoring, and other collaborative models?
When gifted students are placed in mixed-ability groups for cooperative learning, they frequently become tutors. Other students in these groups may rely on the gifted to do most of the work and may actually learn less than when the gifted students are not in their groups. When gifted students work in their own cooperative learning groups from time to time on appropriately challenging tasks, they are more likely to develop positive attitudes about cooperative learning. At the same time, other students learn to become more active learners because they are not able to rely so heavily on the gifted students. When the learning task focuses on content some students already know, those students should be learning how to cooperate in their own groups on extension tasks that are difficult enough to require cooperation. When the cooperative task is open-ended and requires critical or divergent thinking, it is acceptable to include the gifted students in heterogeneous learning groups.
If gifted students are not placed in some classes, won't those classes lack positive role models for academic and social leadership?
Research on role modeling (Schunk, 1987) indicates that to be effective, role models cannot be drastically discrepant in ability from those who would be motivated by them. Teachers overwhelmingly report that new leadership "rises to the top" in the non-cluster classes. There are many students, other than the identified gifted students, who welcome opportunities to become the new leaders in groups that no longer include the top 5% of a grade level group. This issue becomes a problem only when more than 5% to 10% of students are clustered. As classes are formed, be sure the classes without clusters of gifted students include several highly capable students.
How does the cluster grouping concept fit in with the inclusion models that integrate students with exceptional educational needs into regular classes?
The Inclusion model, in which students with exceptional learning needs are integrated into regular classrooms, is compatible with the concept of cluster grouping of gifted students, since both groups have exceptional educational needs. The practice of cluster grouping allows educators to come much closer to providing better education services for groups of students with similar exceptional learning needs. In noncluster classrooms, teachers report that they are able to pay more attention to the special learning needs of those for whom learning may be more difficult. Some schools choose to avoid placing students with significant learning difficulties in the same class that has the cluster group of gifted students. A particular class may have a cluster of gifted students and a cluster of special education students as long as more than one adult is sharing the teaching responsibilities.
Won't the presence of the clustered gifted students inhibit the performance on the other students in that class, having a negative effect on their achievement?
When the cluster group is kept to a manageable size, many cluster teachers report that there is general improvement in achievement for the entire class. This suggest the exciting possibility that when teachers learn how to provide what gifted students need, they also learn to provide modified versions of the same opportunities to the entire class, thus raising the level of learning for all students, including those who are gifted. The positive effects of the cluster grouping practice may be shared with all students over several years by rotating the cluster teacher assignment among teachers who have had gifted education training and by rotating the other students so all students eventually have a chance to be in the same class with a cluster group.
How should students be identified for the cluster group?
If there will be one cluster, its highly capable students should be those who have demonstrated that they will need curriculum that exceeds grade level parameters. Traditional measures, such as standardized tests, may also be used, but not as the sole criteria. If there will be more than one cluster, those highly capable in specific subjects might be grouped together in separate clusters. Profoundly gifted students should always be grouped together, since there will rarely be more than two such students in any grade level. Identification should be conducted each spring with the help of someone trained in gifted education.
What specific skills are needed by cluster teachers?
Since gifted students are as far removed from the "norm" as students with significant learning difficulties, it is necessary for teachers to have special training in how to teach children of exceptionally high ability. Cluster teachers should know how to:
• recognize and nurture behaviors usually demonstrated by gifted students,
• create conditions in which all students will be stretched to learn.
• allow students to demonstrate and get credit for previous mastery of concepts,
• provide opportunities for faster pacing of new material,
• incorporate students' passionate interests into their independent studies,
• facilitate sophisticated research investigations,
• provide flexible grouping opportunities for the entire class.
Should the cluster grouping model replace out-of-class enrichment programs for gifted students?
No. Cluster grouping provides an effective complement to any gifted education program.
Gifted students need time to be together when they can just "be themselves." The resource teacher might also provide assistance to all classroom teachers in their attempts to differentiate the curriculum for students who need it. As a matter of fact, this resource person is being called a "Schoolwide Enrichment Specialist" in many schools instead of a "Gifted Program Coordinator" in recognition of the fact that so many students can benefit from "enriching" learning opportunities.
Is clustering feasible only in elementary schools?
No. Cluster grouping may be used at all grade levels and in all subject areas. Gifted students may be clustered in one section of any heterogeneous class, especially when there are not enough students to form an advanced section for a particular subject. Cluster grouping is also a welcome option in rural settings, or wherever small numbers of gifted students make appropriate accommodations difficult. Keep in mind, however, if your school has enough gifted students for separate sections in which curriculum is accelerated, such sections should be maintained. Many middle schools have quietly returned to the practice of offering such sections. Placement in cluster groups is gained by demonstrating that one needs a differentiated curriculum—not by proving one is "gifted."
How are records kept of the progress made by students in cluster groups?
Differentiated Educational Plans (DEP) should\ be maintained for gifted students and filed with their ongoing records. In some schools, teachers develop a DEP for the cluster group, rather than for individual students. These plans briefly describe the modifications that are planned for the group and should be shared with parents regularly.
What are the advantages of cluster grouping?
Gifted students feel more comfortable when there are other students just like them in the class. They are more likely to choose more challenging tasks when other students will also be eligible. Teachers no longer have to deal with the strain of trying to meet the needs of just one precocious student in a class. The school is able to provide a full-time, cost-effective program for gifted students, since their learning needs are being met every day.
What are the disadvantages of cluster grouping?
There may be pressure from parents to have their children placed in a cluster classroom, even if they are not in the actual cluster group. Gifted students may move into the district during the school year and not be able to be placed in the cluster classroom. These situations may be handled by:
• providing training for all staff in compacting and differentiation so parents can expect those opportunities in all classes,
• requiring parents to provide written documentation of their child's needs for curriculum differentiation instead of requesting the placement by phone,
• rotating the cluster teacher assignment every two years among teachers who have had appropriate training so parents understand that many teachers are capable of teaching gifted students,
• rotating other students into cluster classrooms over several years.
Another disadvantage might arise if the cluster teachers are not expected to consistently compact and differentiate the curriculum. Their supervisor must expect them to maintain the integrity of the program, and must provide the needed support by facilitating regular meetings of cluster teachers, and providing time for the enrichment specialist to assist the cluster teachers.
Conclusion
There is an alarming trend in many places to eliminate gifted education programs in the mistaken belief that all students are best served in heterogeneous learning environments. Educators have been bombarded with research that makes it appear that there is no benefit to ability grouping for any students. The work of Allan (1991); Feldhusen (1989); Fiedler, Lange, & Winebrenner (1993); Kulik and Kulik (1990); Rogers (1993) and others clearly documents the benefits of keeping gifted students together in their areas of greatest strength for at least part of the school day. It appears that average and below average students have much to gain from heterogeneous grouping, but we must not sacrifice gifted students' needs in our attempt to find the best grouping practices for all students. If we do not allow cluster groups to be formed, gifted students may find their achievement and learning motivation waning in a relatively short period of time. Parents of gifted students may choose to enroll their children in alternative programs, such as home schooling or charter schools. The practice of cluster grouping represents a mindful way to make sure gifted students continue to receive a quality education at the same time as schools work to improve learning opportunities for all students.
References
Allan, S. (1991). Ability grouping research review: What do they say about grouping and the gifted? Educational Leadership, 48(6), 60-65.
Feldhusen, J. (1989). Synthesis of research on gifted youth. Educational Leadership, 46(6), 6-11.
Fiedler, E., Lange, R., & Winebrenner, S., (1993). In search of reality: Unraveling the myths about tracking, ability grouping, and the gifted. Roeper Review, 16(1), 4-7.
Hoover, S., Sayler, M., & Feldhusen, J. (1993). Cluster grouping of gifted students at the elementary level. Roeper Review, 16(1), 13-15.
Kulik, J.A., & Kulik, C-L.C. (1990). Ability grouping and gifted students. In N. Colangelo & G. Davis (Eds.), Handbook of Gifted Education (pp. 178-196).
Boston: Allyn and Bacon. Rogers, K. (1993). Grouping the gifted and talented. Roeper Review, 16(1), 8-12.
Schunk, D.H. (1987). Peer models and children's behavioral change. Review of Educational Research, 57, 149-174.
Susan Winebrenner, M.S. is the author of Teaching Gifted Kids in the Regular Classroom.
She is a full time consultant in staff development (888/327-3477) and author of several books and articles.
Barbara Devlin, Ph.D. is Superintendent of Schools in Richfield, MN.
Reprinted from the ERIC Digest, August, 1996
SAMPLE LETTER INVITING STUDENTS TO VOYAGE
Date
Dear Parents,
The gifted placement committee met on April 23, 2007 to review the scores from the Terra Nova and the InView Ability Test taken in November and any retesting results. If retesting occurred, the results are listed below.
|InView Ability Test |«R_Cog» |CSI |
|Terra Nova Achievement Test |«R_Read»|Reading | |«R_Sci|Science |
| | | | |» | |
|Terra Nova Achievement Test |«R_Math»|Math | |«R_SS»|Social Studies |
The placement committee considers the students’ most recent scores to determine those students who would most benefit by participating in the elementary gifted class. Children identified in several areas are placed in the class first. After careful deliberation, the committee has recommended your child be placed in the elementary gifted class (Voyage) for this coming year.
One day a week the Voyage students meet together at Kirkersville for the day. For students not attending Kirkersville, a shuttle bus will take them to Kirkersville and then back to their home school again. Students are not responsible for work missed in their home schools with the exception of tests or long term projects, which will need to be made up. The elementary gifted class offers students a chance to meet with others who think and learn as they do. The material and activities are designed to provide a challenge to their thinking or encourage thinking in a new way while extending the academic content standards.
In August, students and parents will have an opportunity to meet their new teacher and learn about some of the units they will be studying about in the coming year.
If you have any questions, please contact me at 349-6094.
Sincerely yours,
Coordinator of Gifted Services
SOUTHWEST LICKING LOCAL SCHOOLS
REFUSAL OF GIFTED SERVICES
Student _________________________________________________ Date ____________
School: _______________________ School Year _________ Grade of Service _____
Placement Offered: ( Voyage ( Cluster Class
Periodically, students and parents may choose not to take advantage of the gifted services offered by the district. Written refusal of offered services must be filed with the school. If you would like to refuse the offered services, please complete the form below and return it to the school as soon as possible after the placement is offered.
Reason for Refusal of Services: ___________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
Parent Statement of Understanding
“I understand that refusal of gifted services cannot be reversed this school year. Further, reinstatement of my child in the program in future years may only be considered as space is available.”
________________________________________________ ________________________
Parent Signature Date
________________________________________________ ________________________
Administrator Signature Date
SAMPLE LETTER INTRODUCING STUDENTS TO VOYAGE
Date
Dear Parents and Guardians,
The Southwest Licking School District offers placements designed to meet the unique educational needs of gifted students. One of these placements is the Voyage program, a one day a week pull-out resource room for grades 3-5. The goal of the Voyage class is to help gifted students develop their intellectual and creative abilities through challenging instructional activities in the areas of critical thinking, creative thinking, problem solving, research skills, and all content areas. Moreover, the Voyage program offers an opportunity for gifted students to interact in a risk free learning environment.
Based on your child’s test scores and the selection criteria, your child has been selected to participate in the Voyage program. He or she will be bussed to Kirkersville Elementary on their meeting day. Below are the guidelines for participation in the Voyage program. Please review them with your child.
• Students considered for Voyage exhibit a love for learning, a high level of creativity, and strong motivation. If the home classroom teacher or Voyage teacher observes a noticeable drop in the child’s level of achievement, a review will take place to determine the steps needed to ensure success.
• Disruptive behaviors will be documented by the Voyage teacher and could result in a review of steps needed to ensure student success.
• “The student is not required to make up class work and/or homework on the day he/she is involved in the Gifted Program…Each building principal supports this concept…The student…is responsible for long range assignments, projects, and tests in the home classroom…”
• Parents may opt to withdraw their child at any time. A parent conference and written notice is required before a student withdraws from the program.
• Participation in Voyage does not automatically mean placement in the middle school Challenge class. Students are placed there according to the scores on the standardized testing completed in fifth grade.
An Open House will be held in the beginning of the school year. There you will be able to meet the teacher, see the classroom, and learn more information about the goals and methods of the programs. Over the summer you will receive a welcome packet giving you more information about the program and specific information about the Open House and start dates.
If you have any questions, please let me know. I look forward to working with you and your child.
Sincerely,
Gifted Intervention Specialist
(740) 927-7281
SAMPLE VOYAGE OPEN HOUSE LETTER
[pic]
Date
Dear Parents/Guardians of ______________________________________
Hello and welcome a new year for the Voyage Program!
I would like to invite you to an Open House to meet me and learn more about the gifted program at the elementary level. The Open House will be held on ____________ from _________ in the Kirkersville Elementary cafeteria. There we will be discussing the objective of program, units, conferences, general information, and answering any questions you may have.
Gifted classes will begin the week of __________. The start date for each grade is listed below:
3rd grade—Tuesday, _____________
4th grade—Wednesday, ___________
5th grade—Thursday, _____________
Each grade will meet on their day (Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday) for the rest of year.
I have also enclosed some important information, an emergency medical authorization form, and a permission to participate letter. Please return these forms as soon as possible. I must have the emergency medical authorization form before your child’s first day of class. This is for their safety.
I am looking forward to working with your child this year. If you have any questions, please bring them to the Open House or contact me.
Sincerely,
Gifted Intervention Specialist
Guidelines for Voyage Students
Permission to Participate
Please review the following guidelines with your child, then sign and return the bottom portion.
• Students considered for Voyage exhibit a love for learning, a high level of creativity, and strong motivation. If the home classroom teacher or Voyage teacher observes a noticeable drop in the child’s level of achievement, a review will take place to determine the steps needed to ensure success.
• Disruptive behaviors will be documented by the Voyage teacher and could result in a review of steps needed to ensure student success.
• “The student is not required to make up class work and/or homework on the day he/she is involved in the Gifted Program…Each building principal supports this concept…The student…is responsible for long range assignments, projects, and tests in the home classroom…”
• Parents may opt to withdraw a child from Voyage at any time. A parent conference and written notice is required before a student withdraws from the program.
• Participation in Voyage does not automatically mean placement in the middle school Challenge class. Students are place there according to the scores on the standardized testing completed in fifth grade.
___________________________________________________________________________
Permission to Participate
____ I acknowledge the above stipulations and grant permission for my child ____________ to participate in the elementary gifted program (Voyage) for the __________school year. Permission is valid throughout my child’s elementary attendance at Southwest Licking Local Schools unless withdrawn from the program at the request of the parents and/or teachers.
_____ I do not give permission for my child _______________________ to participate in the elementary gifted program (Voyage).
By signing this, we understand the guidelines regarding participation in Voyage
Parent Signature _________________________________________
Student Signature ________________________________________
Please return to:
Gifted Intervention Specialist
Kirkersville Elementary
PO Box 401
Kirkersville, Ohio 43033
Important Information
Shuttle Bus
Students coming to Kirkersville Elementary for gifted classes will take the following buses:
Pataskala: bus # 47
Etna: bus # 46
School Supplies
For the gifted program, the students will need to bring the following supplies:
• 1 binder with pockets (1 inch)
• 1 pack of ruled paper (wide preferred)
The following supplies may be donated:
• Ziploc bags
• Pencils
• Erasers
• Tape
• Markers
• Index Cards
• Shoe boxes or other craft supplies
Lunch
Students may pack or buy on their pull-out day. If they choose to buy, they may use their funds from Pataskala or Etna. Therefore, if you pay in advance, you do not need to bring lunch money on their pull-out day.
HOMEWORK
The student is not required to make up class work and/or homework on the day he/she is involved in the Gifted Program. Obviously, trying to complete six hours of schoolwork in one evening is unfair to any child and punishes students for participating in the gifted class. Each building principal supports this concept. Research reveals that students of average ability require up to eight repetitions to learn a skill, while gifted students require only one or two repetitions to master the same concept. The day some of the students in the class attend the resource room would be an opportunity in which the regular classroom teacher could offer review of material and concepts already presented.
The student is still responsible for long-range assignments, projects, and tests in the regular classroom. However, teachers preferably will not give tests or take field trips when a student is involved in the gifted resource room activities. If a problem occurs, the classroom teacher, resource teacher, parents, and students should work together to find a solution.
For a child experiencing difficulty with the material in his/her regular class, the regular classroom and resource room teachers should decide upon a plan to ensure the child learns the necessary concepts or skills.
GRADING
Currently no letter grades are given in the Voyage classes. The quarterly Voyage evaluation includes checklists, conferencing, student self-evaluation, and teacher commentary. At the conclusion of each quarter, an assessment is sent home. Conferences are held in the fall and spring, and they are also available upon parent request.
PLACEMENT REVIEW
Classroom teachers and teachers of the gifted programs will continue to monitor the progress of students who are not admitted to the program and will resubmit the names as teacher referrals. Teachers of the gifted program, guidance counselors, the school psychologist, and administrators will also monitor the above-mentioned students' test results and/or other pertinent data.
Parents may request a review of the placement procedure by contacting the gifted teacher, administrators, or the guidance counselor. This review may include a conference, a request for further testing, and possible reconsideration by the Gifted Placement Committee.
CHALLENGE CLASS
"Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life or whether that part will belong to someone else these pages must show.”
Charles Dickens from David Copperfield
Challenge is a three-year program offered in grades six, seven, and eight. This advanced language arts and reading course meets each day during all three years. The Challenge program is designed with an overarching theme throughout the program of “being the hero of one’s own life”. Students investigate heroes and their leadership qualities, engage in self-reflection, analyze their responsibilities to themselves and to others while learning to set goals and develop plans to achieve them. Students learn to analyze all sides of an issue and think critically to form their own opinions in order to develop their values and beliefs on a variety of issues. All of the units of study are tied to this central theme.
LETTER FOR CHALLENGE PLACEMENT
Licking County Educational Service Center
675 Price Road Newark, Ohio 43055
6087. FAX 740-349-6107
Date
To the Parents of _____________________ ,
Your child has been recommended for placement in for the gifted language arts class (Challenge) for the coming school year. This is an advanced class in which students study various genres of literature in more depth and at a faster pace than the regular classroom. The program develops and refines critical and creative thinking skills through many writing activities. Your child has an opportunity to work at his/her potential, perhaps for the first time, as the curriculum is specifically designed for gifted students.
The Terra Nova Achievement Test and the InView Ability Test provide evidence of students’ achievement and ability. One of the uses of these instruments is to identify children who are or have the potential to be gifted. Students scoring at the 95th percentile or above in reading or language, and/or with an ability score of 129 or above are considered are identified as gifted in those areas and are considered for the program.
The placement committee looks at the most recent scores students receive on the above tests when placing students in the Challenge class. Children are placed in the class in accordance with district policy and state rules.
Please call the school or myself if you have any questions or concerns. My number is 740-349-6094. You need to contact the school immediately at 927-5767 if you choose not to place your child in this program so that others may enroll.
Sincerely,
Coordinator of Gifted Services
Licking County ESC
NOTIFICATION OF SCORES NOT SUFFICIENT FOR PLACEMENT
Licking County Educational Service Center
675 Price Road Newark, Ohio 43055
FAX 740-349-6107
Date
Dear Parent(s) of _________________,
Because of previous test scores, your child has participated in Voyage classes this past year. Placement in Voyage occurs because of high ability scores and specific academic scores of at least 95th percentile in areas of reading and/or math. The middle school gifted class, Challenge, specifically addresses the needs of children who are gifted in the superior cognitive and reading/language arts areas. The placement committee considers the scores from the most recent standardized testing (the Terra Nova and InView in grade 5), when determining students best served in the middle school class. A student with gifted identification and current qualifying scores in ability and reading on these tests will be placed in accordance with district policy and state rules.
At this time, your child does not meet the criteria for placement in the Challenge class. However, the middle school has begun clustering and offers other advanced classes and enrichment opportunities for students who have advanced scores but who do not quite meet the criteria for inclusion in the Challenge class. Teachers are informed of test results and can adjust the curriculum to meet the needs of those students.
If you have further questions, I will be happy to speak with you. My number is 740-349-6094.
Sincerely,
Coordinator of Gifted Services
Licking County Educational Service Center
SOUTHWEST LICKING LOCAL SCHOOLS
REFUSAL OF GIFTED SERVICES
Student _________________________________________________ Date ____________
School: WATKINS MIDDLE SCHOOL School Year _________ Grade of Service _____
Placement Offered: ( Challenge ( Advanced Math ( Advanced Science
Periodically, students and parents may choose not to take advantage of the gifted services offered by the district. Written refusal of offered services must be filed with the school. If you would like to refuse the offered services, please complete the form below and return it to the school as soon as possible after the placement is offered.
Reason for Refusal of Services: ___________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
Parent Statement of Understanding
“I understand that refusal of gifted services cannot be reversed this school year. Further, reinstatement of my child in the program in future years may only be considered as space is available.”
________________________________________________ ________________________
Parent Signature Date
________________________________________________ ________________________
Administrator Signature Date
SAMPLE LETTER FROM THE CHALLENGE TEACHER
Date
Dear Parent(s),
Your child has been recommended for placement in the Watkins Middle School Challenge
class based on a variety of criteria. Challenge is a three-year program that meets all of the Academic Content Standards for English Language Arts required by the state of Ohio. In addition, it incorporates best practices for the instruction of gifted students. It fulfills the state requirements and guidelines for gifted programs as outlined in Ohio Administrative Code 3301-51-15.
Challenge, an advanced language arts and reading class, moves at a faster pace and investigates topics in more depth, breadth, and complexity than the regular language arts classes. Your child’s standardized test scores indicate that he/she would benefit from this type of educational format. The class curriculum does not run parallel to the regular classrooms. Students are placed and remain in the program for three years. Therefore, it is very important that you realize this is a three-year commitment to the program. The students work at an accelerated pace and conduct in-depth studies of themes and genres. In addition, the class will provide exposure to a variety of learning experiences outside of the classroom. By taking advantage of outside resources, students have an opportunity to participate in diverse subject matter and activities and events that reflect what is going on in the community, state, country, and world. The possible involvement in competitive events, such as Quiz Bowl, National History Day, Power of the Pen, etc., provides opportunities to match skills with like peers from other schools. Also, your child will keep a writing portfolio for their middle school years in the form of an autobiography.
The class is designed to provide your student the opportunity to develop skills to solve complex problems, learn and apply new material, and work at his or her full potential. This is often the first time students have been required to perform daily at an advanced level. For many children, the program will be an adjustment to how they have approached their studies in the past. However, as students begin to experience success and grow as learners, their self-esteem soars as they view themselves as intelligent beings capable of great things. It will be extremely important that the communication lines between you, your student, and me are open. I will keep in contact with you regarding your student and the class regularly, and I would like you to do the same. Together, we can strive to assist your student in reaching his or her potential.
I have enclosed a supply list for Challenge. There is also a fee charged for Challenge and other classes at the middle school. The fee allows us to purchase the best of current reading materials, such as novels, replace aged reading materials, fund postage for our class letter writing projects, and purchase other consumables for our class.
I am often asked about whether or not the Challenge students have a summer project to do. I do not give summer projects. I request your student, and optionally you, write me a letter of introduction. More details about the letter are contained on the next page. Your child will benefit from continuing to regularly read books of interest throughout the summer. I suggest sometimes guiding your child to choose a book that is slightly challenging to continue to advance his or her reading level. However, reading books that aren’t always challenging is rewarding as well. If you think about your own reading material, it probably runs the spectrum in degrees of difficulty. I know mine does.
In addition, any novel experiences that you can provide for your child will broaden his or her horizons. We have a wealth of places to visit in our immediate vicinity that will enrich their learning. Taking up a new hobby is another excellent educational opportunity for students of this age. Finally, summer is for having fun and enjoying the sunshine and friends, which are equally important.
I am looking forward to working with you and your child. You need to do nothing if you agree that placement in Challenge is appropriate for your son or daughter. However, if you have questions or concerns, please contact me at school at 740-927-5767 or the county gifted coordinator at 740-349-6094.
Thank you,
Challenge Teacher
cc: student file
gifted coordinator
SAMPLE LETTER FOR CHALLENGE VISIT AND PARENT MEETING
Date
Dear Parent,
To help answer questions about the Challenge Program at Watkins Middle School, students are invited to come spend a few hours at the middle school to meet the gifted teacher, talk with some current students and learn what kinds of activities and assignments will be involved. That date is ____________, from about 8:50am-12:30pm. Students will be bused to and from the middle school. Please read the enclosed invitation which outlines the specifics of the day. I hope you will encourage your child to come and investigate the program. Coming does not obligate him/her to take the class, but we hope he/she will try it.
Unfortunately, smart kids learn quickly that they don’t have to work very hard to get an A and that anything hard might disprove their ability, so they don’t want to challenge themselves. Students who engage in more rigorous coursework in high school perform better in college. While this is not yet high school, the middle school language arts class is sometimes the first time a student is challenged by assignments requiring more than throwing something together at the last minute to earn an A. Material is covered at a faster pace, more in depth, and with little review over previously known subjects.
You and your child are invited to a brief parent meeting on __________, at 7:00 PM in the Middle School South Cafeteria. You also can learn about the class, what is involved, and have your own questions answered.
Please sign the permission slip below for the field trip to the middle school on ___________.
We look forward to meeting you!
Coordinator of Gifted Services & Gifted Teacher
___________________________ has my permission to visit the Challenge Class on
(child’s name)
______________________________.
In case of an emergency, please contact _____________ _________________ who can
be reached at _________________________ or __________________________.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR LETTER OF INTRODUCTION
Letter of Introduction
During the summer, I ask that your child send me a letter introducing himself or herself to me. I will use the letters to learn more about him/her and to obtain an initial sample of your child’s writing ability. I am not judging the student based on the content of his letter as the right or wrong way to feel about something. I want to get to know the students before the year begins. Therefore, please remind him or her to write and mail the letter, making sure enough information is provided, but please do not edit the letter.
The letter should include basic information about the student including, but not limited to, the following:
a. hobbies and interests
b. feelings about being gifted and being placed in Challenge
c. interesting past experiences
d. what the student likes or doesn’t like about school
e. what matters to the student
f. what the student does for fun
g. a students favorite books or authors
h. what the student considers his or her greatest strengths and weaknesses as a student and person
i. anything else the student would like to tell me
No letter grade will be given for this communication. Students will, however, receive points for completing this assignment. In addition, if parents would like to include their own introductory letter with information about their child, that would be helpful to me, but is not required.
Please mail the letters to:
Challenge Teacher
Watkins Middle School
8808 Watkins Road S.W.
Pataskala, Ohio 43062.
Please note that the summer mail isn’t distributed on a regular basis, so it may take a while for me to actually obtain the letters.
SUPPLIES LIST
I have tried to provide you with a list of most of what your student will need for the whole year since stores have school supplies at discounted prices in August. We will not use all of these supplies daily, but these are things your student will need throughout the school year. These supplies are for all three years.
• four three-subject notebooks or larger for a year of Challenge
• crayons and/or colored pencils
• pack of markers
• pack of 3 x 5 cards lined
• notebook paper
• a folder with pockets and perhaps a couple of replacements if it becomes worn
• white out
• glue
• black ink pens
• a red pen or fine tip marker
• several pieces of poster board (may get now or as needed for projects)
• a dictionary and thesaurus (highly recommended for home use, but not required)
• a ruler
• a heavy duty three inch binder with side prongs so it lays flat when opened to be
kept at school for autobiography (writing portfolio for all three years)
• scissors
• page protectors (optional, but highly recommended to keep pages of
autobiography undamaged)
• pieces of unused craft items for possible use for projects. Items that are to be thrown away are often useful for this, such as last bits of fabric or string, cardboard, and the like.
GRADING
Students in the Challenge class earn a single letter grade that is reported in both the reading and language arts areas of the quarterly report card. This grade is based on the projects, quizzes, tests, and daily work completed in class much like any other middle school course.
The middle school years, as a transition to high school, permit students to learn about themselves and their capabilities without the added stress of maintaining a high grade point average. Gifted students quickly learned they could easily earn high grades in elementary school with minimal effort. The curriculum there is not designed explicitly for high achieving students. Sometimes these students become uncomfortable when they are exposed to a curriculum that challenges them. At first, it is daunting to suddenly be in a class with other just as motivated and talented students. They may begin to doubt their abilities. As these students gain the skills necessary to learn new materials, they gain self-esteem and a new sense of accomplishment. Likewise, students may not always achieve an A in Challenge. It is a rigorous course in which some students adapt faster than others. Ultimately, the students experience success. However, the time between the uneasiness and the new accomplishments can be strange for the student, parents, teachers, and other adults in the students’ lives. During this time, the student needs encouragement and validation that he or she can achieve the objectives. Good communication between the parent, the student, and the teacher is critical. The work ethic learned through setting and achieving challenging goals will allow the student to rise to the future demands of high school and even college.
INTERVENTION ASSISTANCE TEAM PROCESS
The Intervention Assistance Team (IAT) process is a method used to monitor and assist students not achieving at their level of ability. Gifted students performing right on grade level may actually be performing below their potential ability. Teachers need to monitor student performance to determine if students are working to their full potential and initiate intervention assistance when a gap is determined.
While gifted students have great potential for academic success, instances occur when children struggle to perform at their expected level of achievement. Even a student performing above grade level may not be meeting his or her full potential due to curricular, behavioral, or affective issues. In these circumstances, teachers and parents should follow Southwest Licking Local School District’s current IAT process before considering withdrawal from services.
Open communication between parents and the teacher early in the year can often avoid misunderstandings. The parent should raise any concerns about their child’s performance directly with the appropriate teacher(s). Also, teachers who have a concern about the child’s classroom performance will contact the student’s parents. If a student, parent, or teacher concern arises, a conference will occur first with the teacher, parent(s), and student (if appropriate). At that conference, the parties will attempt to create a plan to solve the concern. Interventions might include increased parent and teacher contact, creation of a discipline contract, the student keeping a record of assignments and getting parent and teacher signature daily, referral to the school counselor or psychologist, or other interventions agreed to by the meeting participants. If the concern is not resolved to the satisfaction of all, the issue will be forwarded to the IAT for further assistance in accordance with district policies.
WITHDRAWAL
The services offered to gifted students are designed to be challenging and tackle abstract issues at a faster pace and greater degree of complexity than the regular curriculum. As a result, times may occur when parents, students, or staff are concerned about the ability of the child to continue successfully in the program. The recommended first step in such cases is a team approach between parents and teacher followed by the IAT process, as needed. In the event that removal from the program is determined as a necessary action, parents may choose to withdraw their child from the program. It will be done in a manner to cause the least disruption to the class and the student being removed. Therefore, the removal of students from gifted placements at the middle and high school level will occur at the end of the year, if at all possible. In extremely sensitive situations, the change may occur at the end of the nine weeks with administrative permission. A student who withdraws from gifted placement at any level will not be accepted back into the program during the course of that same school year or in subsequent years unless space is available.
SOUTHWEST LICKING LOCAL SCHOOLS
GIFTED SERVICES WITHDRAWAL FORM
Name _________________________________________________ Grade ____________
School ______________________________________________________________________
Placement ____________________________________________________________________
Reason for Withdrawal __________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
Prior to Withdrawal:
❑ Parents and placement teacher met to discuss the concern.
❑ Issue was referred to IAT as appropriate.
❑ Parent and placement teacher discussed the district policies regarding withdrawal from placement and the possible academic and social emotional consequences of withdrawal from gifted services.
Parent Statement of Understanding
“I understand that withdrawal from gifted services cannot be reversed this school year. Further, reinstatement of my child in the program in future years may only be considered as space is available.”
________________________________________________ ________________________
Parent Signature Date
________________________________________________ ________________________
Teacher Signature Date
________________________________________________ ________________________
Administrator Signature Date
TRANSFER STUDENTS
Students new to the district also have an opportunity for gifted services. The parents should indicate prior identification on the enrollment form upon entering the district. The building secretary or counselor will notify the county gifted coordinator of the student’s enrollment in the district and prior school of enrollment and then forward the student’s test scores, letters of identification, and/or Written Education Plan as they become available. As stipulated in House Bill 282, Southwest Licking Schools accepts scores less than 24 months old from other schools and private testing individuals, provided the test is on the approved list of acceptable instruments developed by the Ohio Department of Education. Any prior gifted identification from an Ohio public school automatically transfers with the student regardless of the date of identification. Service placement will follow the procedures listed earlier in this manual. At the middle school level, identified students with test scores more than 24 months old will be retested to determine placement. In the event that the student is eligible for services but the placement option is filled to capacity, the transfer student will be placed on a waiting list for the year and placement will be reconsidered the following school year. In those cases, the gifted intervention specialist will work with the child and/or the classroom teacher to assist with providing differentiation of classroom instruction to help meet the gifted student’s needs.
ACCELERATION
In the spring of 2006, the state adopted a model policy on academic acceleration, including subject acceleration, whole grade acceleration, early entrance to Kindergarten and first grade, and early graduation. In accordance with state law and ODE rules, Southwest Licking adopted its own policies incorporating the elements mandated by law. These can be found in district policies numbered 5112, 5409, 5410, and 5464.
Policy Highlights
Who can be accelerated?
• Anyone who demonstrates an advanced academic need regardless of gifted identification.
• Four year olds may enter Kindergarten.
• Five year olds may skip Kindergarten and enter 1st grade.
Who may make a referral for acceleration?
• Parents
• Teachers and Administrators
• Students
• Physicians and Psychologists
• Special note – if referral is for Early Kindergarten and the child will be 5 after January 1 of the Kindergarten year or if the referral is for early 1st grade and the child will be 6 after January 1 of the 1st grade year, referral must come from an educator or medical professional.
Who decides if acceleration occurs?
• A committee including the gifted teacher(s), gifted coordinator, building administrator, sending and receiving teachers, and parents make the final decision together.
• Decision is based on information gathered on the Iowa Acceleration Scale.
What is the process?
• Referral is made and forwarded onto the building principal specialist.
• The building principal obtains permission to test from the parents.
• The gifted coordinator administers a cognitive abilities test. If the score is below 115, review ends. If above 115, the process continues.
• The gifted coordinator administers normed achievement tests for the grade to be skipped in any subjects appropriate. (Single subject test for single subject acceleration; all subjects for grade acceleration.)
• The building principal or designee talks with teachers and parents to complete the Iowa Acceleration Scales (IAS).
• IAS scores are tallied and a recommendation is made.
• The committee meets to determine best placement.
• If acceleration will occur, a written acceleration plan is developed to guide the transition.
What is the Iowa Acceleration Scale?
• Rating scale for acceleration reviews.
• Considers academic, cognitive, motivational, physical growth, and social maturity elements.
Other notes:
• One person cannot make a decision to accelerate or not accelerate.
• Decisions may not be made on the basis of available transportation.
• Subject accelerated students will take the OAT at the level of instruction unless no OAT exists in the higher grade level. (For example, a 3rd grader in 4th grade math will take the 4th grade math OAT. An eighth grader in HS geometry will not take a math OAT.).
• Appeals may be made to the Superintendent within 30 days of the placement decision.
Southwest Licking Local Schools
Referral for Acceleration Assessment
Child’s Name ____________________________________________ Date of Birth: / /
Address:
Parent/Guardian: Phone:
School: Grade: Referred By:
Please consider the above student for the following type of acceleration
( Whole Grade Acceleration from Grade _____ to Grade _____
( Subject Acceleration from Grade ____ to Grade _____ in:
( Mathematics
( Reading
( Science
( Social Studies
( Early Entrance to Kindergarten
( Early Entrance to First Grade
( Early Graduation
Reason for referral:
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Signature Relationship to Child Date
Please return to your building principal.
Southwest Licking Local Schools
Permission for Acceleration Assessment
Child’s Name ____________________________________________ Date of Birth: / /
Address:
Parent/Guardian: Phone:
School: Grade: Referred By:
Your child has been referred as a potential candidate for academic acceleration. Assessments are required for identification purposes. The following assessments may be administered to your child:
Otis Lennon School Ability Test
Iowa Test of Basic Skills
Woodcock Johnson Achievement Tests
Iowa Acceleration Scale
No assessment will be done without your written permission. Please read the information below and return this form to school as soon as possible. If you have questions, please contact: _________, Coordinator of Gifted Services at 740-349-6094.
TESTING IS FOR PLACEMENT PURPOSES ONLY AND DOES NOT GUARANTEE THAT ACCELERATION WILL BE OFFERED.
I understand that if I grant permission, my child will receive assessment(s) by designated school personnel and that the information may be shared with teachers, principals, and other appropriate school personnel. I will be notified of the decision making process and meeting to determine the appropriate placement for my child based on this assessment.
( Permission is given to conduct the assessment(s)
( Permission is denied
Signature Relationship to Child Date
Please return to your child’s teacher by ______________________.
SAMPLE WRITTEN ACCELERATION PLAN
SOUTHWEST LICKING LOCAL SCHOOLS
WRITTEN ACCELERATION PLAN
2007-2008 SCHOOL YEAR
Name _____________________________________________ School _________________
Starting Grade ______ Grade to Skip ________ Subject ______________________
Transition Steps (check all that apply) Person responsible
o Visit new classroom prior to placement ________________________
o Assign a class buddy for the beginning of the placement ________________________
o Access to textbooks/online review for skipped material ________________________
o Individual tutoring ________________________
o Other _____________________________________ ________________________
Person responsible for monitoring progress: _________________________________________
Frequency: __________________________
How will acceptable progress be determined?
_____ Student must maintain same percentile rank in new setting as in former one.
_____ Student must demonstrate at least a proficient level on state achievement testing.
_____ Other (specifics: ________________________________________________________)
Who will receive the monitoring report? ___________________________________________
What situation would prompt a review of this placement? ______________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
ACCELERATION TESTING POLICY FOR SUBJECT-ACCELERATED STUDENTS
From Ohio Department of Education
Note: The rules below have been established to ensure equity across districts regarding the practice of testing subject-accelerated students. Section 3324.10 of HB 66 and HB 79 charges all districts with the adoption of a district student acceleration policy. As such, the rules below apply only to students accelerated under a district acceleration policy. Typically, the students covered under the rules below are students accelerated into courses where most of their classmates are older peers.
Subject Acceleration: The practice of placing a student in a higher grade level than is typical given the student’s age for the purpose of providing access to appropriately challenging learning opportunities in one or more subject areas.
Example:
• A third grade student performing above grade level in reading and math goes to a fourth grade teacher every morning for instruction in these subjects and returns to the third grade classroom for instruction in other subject areas.
In most cases, students placed in curricular options with age peers such as ability grouping, honors courses and AP courses are not covered under the testing rules.
Definitions:
Accelerated-subject grade level: the grade level of the accelerated instruction.
Overall grade level: the grade level as reported in the EMIS Grade Level Element. Accountability grade level: the grade level where the student’s score will be counted.
1. During the first year of a student’s acceleration, students with an accelerated-subject grade level of 4-8 (READING and MATH only) will be REQUIRED to test at their accelerated-subject grade level and their scores will be compared back to their overall-grade level using the table of probabilistic classification. Their accountability-grade level will be their overall-grade level.
2. During the first year of a student’s acceleration, for any situation where the table of probabilistic classification is not appropriate, it will be OPTIONAL for the district to test at the accelerated-subject level. In these situations, if students are tested at their accelerated-subject grade level, the accountability-grade level will be the accelerated-subject grade level.
a. The OPTIONAL situations include: a student with an accelerated-subject level of 3 or higher but an overall grade level of 2 or lower
b. A student with an accelerated subject of WRITING, SCIENCE or SOCIAL STUDIES.
3. During the first year of a student's acceleration, for situations where no test exists at their accelerated-subject grade level, but a test does exist in that subject at their overall-grade level, it will be OPTIONAL for the district to test the student.
4. In any year OTHER THAN the first year of a student’s acceleration, testing the student at their accelerated-subject grade level is OPTIONAL for the 2006-2007 school year and will be REQUIRED thereafter. For students tested at their accelerated-subject grade level, the table of probabilistic classification will not be employed in any situation and the accountability grade level is the accelerated-subject grade level.
5. In any year OTHER THAN the first year of a student’s acceleration, for situations where no test exists at their accelerated-subject grade level, but a test does exist in that subject at their overall grade level, it will be OPTIONAL for the district to test the student in 2006-2007 and thereafter the district will be REQUIRED to NOT test the student.
6. Districts will not allow students with an accelerated-subject level of 10 or higher but an overall-grade level of 9 or lower to take the OGT.
7. During the first year of a student’s acceleration, all districts will report in EMIS the Acceleration Element(s) [subject(s) and number of years accelerated]. During the first year of a student’s acceleration AND for any year OTHER THAN a student’s acceleration, districts will report in EMIS the Type of Accommodation Element for OAT for ANY situation in which the student was tested at their accelerated-subject grade level. For any situation where a student is not tested because a test does not exist at their accelerated-subject level, but a test does exist in that subject at their overall-grade level, districts will report in EMIS the Reason Test Not Taken Element for OAT. Districts will report in EMIS the Grade Level of Student at Time of Test Element and the Test Grade Level Element per standard reporting guidelines.
8. ODE reserves the right to REQUIRE testing of all students at their accelerated-subject grade level in all areas beginning with the 2007-2008 school year.
Note regarding whole grade acceleration: For students who have been whole grade accelerated, their accelerated grade level, overall grade level and accountability grade level are all identical. During the first year of a student’s whole grade acceleration, report in EMIS the same value for all five Acceleration Element(s) [subject(s) and number of years accelerated]. Follow all typical testing and reporting guidelines for the student’s accelerated grade level (which is now their overall grade level and their accountability grade level as well).
For questions regarding what students are covered under this policy, please contact the Gifted Services staff at 614-466-2650 or gifted@ode.state.oh.us.
For questions regarding report card and accountability calculations or EMIS reporting, please contact your district’s EMIS coordinator.
Ohio Achievement Test Accountability And Reporting Matrix For Subject-Accelerated Students, 2006-2007
|Rule # |Accelerated Placement Scenario |Testing at the accelerated-subject grade |What is the accountability level |EMIS Reporting Requirements (report |
| | |level? |when students are tested at the |the Grade Level of Student at Time of |
| | | |accelerated-subject grade level? |Test Element and the Test Grade Level |
| | | | |Element per standard guidelines) |
|1 |It is the first year of the student’s acceleration and ALL of |REQUIRED |Overall grade level |Acceleration Element(s) [subject(s) |
| |the following apply: | | |and number of years accelerated]. |
| |• The student is in an accelerated-subject grade of 4, 5, 6, 7,| | |Type of Accommodation |
| |or 8. | | |Element. |
| |• The accelerated subject is READING or MATH. | | | |
| |• The student’s overall grade level is 3 or higher. | | | |
|2 |It is the first year of the student’s acceleration and either |OPTIONAL |Accelerated subject grade level |Acceleration Element(s) [subject(s) |
| |of the following apply: | | |and years accelerated]. Type of |
| |• The student is in an accelerated-subject grade level of 3 or | | |Accommodation Element IF the student |
| |higher but their overall grade level is 2 or lower. | | |is tested at the accelerated-subject |
| |• The student is in an accelerated subject of SCIENCE, SOCIAL | | |grade level. |
| |STUDIES or WRITING. | | | |
|3 |It is the first year of the student’s acceleration. A test |Testing is OPTIONAL |Accelerated subject grade level |Reason Test Not Taken Element IF the |
| |does not exist at the student’s accelerated-subject grade level| | |student is |
| |BUT a test does exist in that subject at the student’s overall | |N/A if not tested |not tested. |
| |grade level. | | | |
|4 |It is a year OTHER THAN the first year of the student’s |OPTIONAL for 2006-1007 school year, |Accelerated subject grade level |Type of Accommodation Element IF the |
| |acceleration and a test exists at the student’s |REQUIRED thereafter | |student is tested at the |
| |accelerated-subject grade level. | | |accelerated-subject grade level. |
|5 |It is a year OTHER THAN the first year of the student’s |Testing is OPTIONAL for 2006-2007 school |Accelerated subject grade level |Reason Test Not Taken Element IF the |
| |acceleration and a test does not exist at the student’s |year. Thereafter the district will be | |student is |
| |accelerated-subject grade level BUT a test does exist in that |REQUIRED to NOT test the student. |N/A if not tested |not tested. |
| |subject at the student’s overall grade level. | | | |
Note regarding whole grade acceleration: For students who have been whole grade accelerated, their accelerated grade level, overall grade level and
accountability grade level are all identical. During the first year of a student’s whole grade acceleration, report in EMIS the same value for all five Acceleration Element(s) [subject(s) and number of years accelerated]. Follow all typical testing and reporting guidelines for the student’s accelerated grade level (which is now their overall grade level and their accountability grade level as well).
DECISION FLOWCHART FOR SUBJECT-ACCELERATED STUDENTS, 2006-2007
TEACHER ENCOURAGEMENT OF PARENT INVOLVEMENT
Teachers welcome ideas, questions, or concerns as a means to establish effective communication among parents, educators, and the students. Recognizing the involvement of the parent(s) or guardian(s) is essential in the education of the gifted child, teachers can encourage parents to become involved in their child’s education.
Parents can participate in the education of gifted children in a variety of ways including:
1. Joining PACE –Parents and others for Academic Challenge and Excellence
2. Keeping abreast of what is happening in the gifted classroom
3. Communicating any concerns directly with the gifted teacher or other teacher providing services
4. Becoming aware of student interests in areas outside the curriculum
5. Encouraging student participation in activities that are a part of the gifted classroom. Some of these activities may not be a part of the normal school day
6. Assisting students with library, research, and study skills
7. Visiting the class to see what is happening
8. Working to become a mentor to other students in the programs and/or recommending mentors
9. Volunteering in the classroom
10. Becoming acquainted with resources relating to gifted education such as those included at the end of this manual
11. Attending the Ohio Association of Gifted Children Conference held each fall
PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES
Parent-teacher conferences will be held at various times throughout the year. Conferences may be requested by the parents or the teacher as needed.
PACE
Parents and others for Academic Challenge and Excellence invite any interested community members to attend their monthly meetings. Having a child in Voyage or Challenge is not required for participation. The intent of the group is to improve services to high achieving students by supporting advanced courses and opportunities to help children develop to their full potential. Parents are also able to discuss with other parents issues relevant to raising and coping with gifted children.
RESOURCES
Books
Adderholdt, M., Goldberg, J. (100). Perfectionism: What’s bad about being too good? Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit Publishing
Delisle, J. (2006). Parenting gifted kids: Tips for raising happy and successful children. Waco, TX: Prufrock Press.
Delisle, J. R. & Galbraith, J. (2002). When gifted kids don’t have all the answers. Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit Publishing.
Delisle, J., & Lewis, B. A. (2003). The survival guide for teachers of gifted kids. Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit Publishing
Galbraith, J. (1999). The gifted kid’s survival guide: A teen handbook. Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit Publishing
Galbraith, J. & Delisle, J. (1996). The gifted kid’s survival guide: For ages 10 and under. Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit Publishing
Heacox, D. (2001). Differentiating instruction in the regular classroom: How to reach and teach all learners. Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit Publishing.
Kerr, B. A. (1997). Smart girls. Scottsdale, AZ: Great Potential Press.
Kerr, B. A. & Cohen, S. J. (2001). Smart boys. Scottsdale, AZ: Great Potential Press.
Kingore, B. (2001). The Kingore observation inventory (2nd Ed.) Austin, TX: Professional Associates Publishing.
Matthews, D. J. & Foster, J. F. (2004). Being smart about gifted kids: A handbook for parents and educators. Scottsdale, AZ: Great Potential Press.
McCune, Diane. Gifted goes thinking. Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit Publishing.
Nichols, J., Thomson, S., Wolfe, M., & Merritt, D. (1997). Primary education thinking skills. Dayton, OH: Pieces of Learning.
Nichols, J., Thomson, S., Wolfe, M., & Merritt, D. (1998). Primary education thinking skills 2. Dayton, OH: Pieces of Learning.
Nichols, J., Thomson, S., Wolfe, M., & Merritt, D. (2001). Primary education thinking skills 3. Dayton, OH: Pieces of Learning.
Parker, J. (1989). Instructional strategies for teaching the gifted. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon, Inc.
Rakow, S. (2005). Educating gifted students in middle school: A Practical Guide. Waco, TX: Prufrock Press.
Rogers, K. (2002). Reforming gifted education. Scottsdale, AZ: Great Potential Press.
Smutny, J. F., Walker, S. Y., & Meckstroth, E. A. (1997). Teaching young gifted kids in the regular classroom. Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit Publishing.
Strip, C.A. & Hirsch, G. (2000). Helping gifted children soar. A practical guide for parents and teachers. Scottsdale, AZ: Great Potential Press.
Tomlinson, C. (1999). The differentiated classroom. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Tomlinson, C. (2003). Differentiation in practice: A resource guide for differentiating curriculum grades K-5. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Tomlinson, C. (2003). Differentiation in practice: A resource guide for differentiating curriculum grades 5-9. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Tomlinson, C. (2003). Fulfilling the promise of the differentiated classroom. Alexandria,
VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Tomlinson, C. (1995). How to differentiate instruction in mixed ability classrooms. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
VanTassel-Baska, J. (1988). Comprehensive curriculum for gifted learners. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, Inc.
Walker, S. Y. (2002). The survival guide for parents of gifted kids. Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit Publishing.
Webb, J.T. (2005). Misdiagnosis and dual diagnoses of gifted children and adults: ADHD, bipolar, OCD, Asperger’s, depression, and other disorders. Scottsdale, AZ: Great Potential Press.
Winebrenner, S. (2001). Teaching gifted kids in the regular classroom. Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit Publishing.
Wyatt, S., & Merritt, D. (2007). PETS Kindergarten. Dayton, OH: Pieces of Learning.
Colangelo, N., Assouline, S.G., Gross, M.U.M. (2004). A nation deceived: How schools hold back their brightest students Iowa City, IA: Templeton Foundation.
Magazines
Gifted Child Quarterly Parenting for High Potential
Journal for the Education of the Gifted Gifted Child Today
Journal of Secondary Gifted Education Creative Kids
Web Sites
Nat'l Assoc. for Gifted Children (NAGC)
Ohio Assoc. of Gifted Children (OACG)
Social Emotional Needs of Gifted (SENG)
Hoagies' Gifted Page
Gifted Development Center
Genius Denied
GT-Cybersource gt-
Nat'l Research Center on Gifted &Talented gifted.uconn.edu/nrcgt.html
Center for Gifted Education cfge.wm.edu/curriculumresources.php
Gifted Online Conferences neiu.edu/~ourgift/index.html
Bertie Kingore
Prufrock Press
Great Potential Press
Pieces of Learning :
Nancy Polette Literature Guides litguides.asp
Interact Simulations interact-
GEMS Math and Science lhs.berkeley.edu/gems/GEMS.html
-----------------------
Visual and/or
Performing Arts Ability
Superior Cognitive Ability
Creative Thinking Ability
Specific Academic Ability
Attain an approved score** on an above grade level standardized, nationally normed approved test*
(E.g.: Scoring well on the ACT or SAT as an 8th grader)
Attain a superior performance rating** on a
Checklist of Behaviors*
Attain a sufficient performance rating** on a Checklist of Creative Behaviors*
[pic][?]*gorw|?Attain a sufficient score** on an individual or group Test of Creative Ability*
OR
Demonstrate
Superior Ability* by: Display of work, Audition,
Performance or Exhibition
AND
Score at the 95th percentile or above on an individual or group Achievement Test* (Basic or Composite)
OR
Score two standard deviations above the mean minus the SEM on an individual or group Intelligence Test*
OR
Score one standard deviation above the mean minus the SEM on an Intelligence Test*,
AND
Score at the 95th percentile or above on an individual or group Achievement Test* in any of the following areas:
Math, Social Studies, Science,
Reading, or Writing
Whole Grade Screening
Grades 2, 5, 7
Individual Nomination
Permission to Test
Individual Screening
Identified as Gifted
Permission for Additional Assessment
Additional Assessment
Not Identified as Gifted
93-94 on reading, math, science, social studies or total battery on Terra Nova OR 124 CSI on InView
< 93 on Terra Nova subject tests OR < than 124 CSI on InView
< 93 on achievement test subject tests OR < than 124 CSI on cognitive test
93-94 on reading, math, science, social studies or total battery on achievement test OR 124 CSI on cognitive test
< 95 on achievement test subject tests OR < than 127-130 SAI on cognitive test (depends on test)
>= 95 on achievement test subject tests OR > than 127-130 CSI on cognitive test (depends on test)
>= 95 on achievement test subject tests OR > than 127-130 CSI on cognitive test (depends on test)
>= 95 on Terra Nova subject tests OR >= than 129 CSI on InView
Option 1
Option 2
Is this the first year of the student’s subject acceleration?
Is there a test at the student’s accelerated subject grade level?
Is there a test at the student’s accelerated subject grade level?
RULE 1
Testing students at their accelerated-
subject grade level is REQUIRED if ALL of
the following apply:
• The accelerated subject is READING or MATH
• The accelerated-
subject grade level is 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8
• The student’s overall grade level
is 3 or higher
RULE 2
Testing students at their accelerated-
subject grade level is OPTIONAL if either of the following apply: • The accelerated-
subject grade level is 3 or higher but the student’s overall grade level is 2 or lower
• The accelerated
subject is WRITING, SCIENCE or SOCIAL STUDIES
RULE 3
If there is a test in that subject at the
student’s overall grade level, testing
the student is OPTIONAL.
RULE 5
If there is a test in that subject at the student’s
overall grade level, testing the student is
OPTIONAL for the 2006-2007 school
year. Thereafter the district will be
REQUIRED to NOT test the student.
RULE 4
Testing students at their accelerated-
subject grade level is OPTIONAL for the
2006-2007 school year and
REQUIRED thereafter.
YES
NO
YES
NO
NO
YES
................
................
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